Ministry of Religious Affairs to Hold Isbat Session for Determining Eid al-Adha on 17 May 2026

Jakarta – The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) will hold an Isbat session to determine the start of Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 Hijriah on 29 Dhu al-Qadah 1447 Hijriah, corresponding to 17 May 2026. During this event, Kemenag will also announce the date for Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah for Muslims in Indonesia. “The Isbat session is a deliberative forum bringing together the government, Islamic mass organisations, and experts in falak and astronomy to establish the beginning of the Hijriah month,” stated the Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at Kemenag, Abu Rokhmad, as reported by ANTARA on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. Abu explained that the process for determining the start of Dhu al-Hijjah integrates the methods of hisab (astronomical calculation) and rukyat (crescent sighting). These two approaches complement each other to produce a comprehensive decision. According to him, hisab data provides an initial picture of the crescent’s position, while rukyat serves as factual confirmation through direct observations at various monitoring points across Indonesia. “This approach ensures that the decision is not only based on scientific data but also confirmed through field observations,” he said. The series of Isbat sessions will begin with a seminar on the crescent’s position, presenting astronomical data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Hisab Rukyat Team. This seminar will be broadcast openly as a form of transparency to the public. Following that, the committee will receive reports on the results of crescent sightings from various observation locations, from western to eastern Indonesia. “Subsequently, the Minister of Religious Affairs will lead the session by listening to the considerations of the participants before officially determining the start of Dhu al-Hijjah,” he stated. Based on preliminary data, the crescent’s position meets the MABIMS visibility criteria. Calculations show the crescent’s height is above 3 degrees and elongation above 6.4 degrees, thus theoretically meeting the rukyat feasibility criteria. Nevertheless, Abu emphasised that this data is still predictive and not the basis for the official determination. “The determination of the start of Dhu al-Hijjah still awaits the rukyat results and the Isbat session decision as the government’s official authority,” he said. The results of the Isbat session will be announced through a press conference to serve as a joint reference for Muslims in Indonesia. “If asked when Eid al-Adha will be, we urge the public to wait for the results of the Isbat session on 17 May 2026,” he added.