Ministry of Religious Affairs to Hold Isbat Session on 19 March to Determine Eid al-Fitr Date
The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) will hold an isbat session to establish the beginning of Syawal 1447 Hijriyah on 19 March 2026, which will determine when Indonesian Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr this year.
The Director General of Islamic Community Guidance (Bimas) at Kemenag, Abu Rokhmad, stated that the isbat session is scheduled to coincide with 29 Ramadhan 1447H or 19 March 2026.
“The Isbat session to establish the beginning of Syawal 1447H will be held on 19 March 2026, coinciding with 29 Ramadhan 1447H,” Abu Rokhmad said during a media discussion at the Kemenag office on Jalan Thamrin, Jakarta, on Monday (9 March 2026).
He explained that the isbat session activities will commence in the afternoon. The event will begin with a seminar on the position of the hilal (crescent moon) on 29 Ramadhan, featuring experts and representatives from Islamic civil society organisations.
“God willing, the Isbat session will be held after Maghrib prayers, but the full programme will begin in the afternoon as usual, starting at 17:30 Western Indonesian Time. There will be a seminar on the hilal position on 29 Ramadhan, attended by several speakers from Islamic organisations who will provide an overview of the hilal position,” he said.
The isbat session is planned to be held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office on Jalan MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, specifically in the HM Rasjidi Auditorium, with the Directorate of Islamic Religious Affairs as the organising host.
According to Abu Rokhmad, the isbat session is the official state mechanism for determining the beginning of Islamic months, particularly Ramadhan, Syawal, and Dzulhijjah. This mechanism has been regulated under the Minister of Religious Affairs Regulation (PMA) Number 1 of 2026.
“The Isbat session is an official state mechanism already established in PMA Number 1 of 2026 to determine the beginning of Islamic months, specifically the beginning of Ramadhan, the beginning of Syawal, and the beginning of Dzulhijjah,” he explained.
At the forum, Kemenag will bring together various stakeholders, including calculation experts (hisab), hilal observers (rukyat), representatives of Islamic civil society organisations, research institutions, and hilal observation practitioners throughout Indonesia.
The results of the isbat session will serve as the basis for the government to officially establish 1 Syawal 1447H and determine the Eid al-Fitr holiday for Indonesian Muslims. The Isbat session decision is typically announced by the Minister of Religious Affairs following the presentation of calculation data and hilal observation reports from various monitoring points throughout Indonesia.