Ministry of Religious Affairs to Hold Isbat Session Tomorrow for Determining Eid al-Fitr and 1 Shawwal 1447 H

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The determination of Eid al-Fitr on 1 Shawwal 1447 Hijriah, or Lebaran 2026, will soon be decided through the Isbat session held by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) tomorrow, Thursday (19/3/2026). The Isbat session is a routine government agenda carried out at the end of Ramadan to establish the start of 1 Shawwal. The determination is based on the results of hilal monitoring. The session is scheduled to take place at the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium, Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, starting at 16:00 WIB. The Isbat session will involve various parties, from astronomy experts at BMKG, BRIN, planetariums, observatories, representatives of Islamic community organisations, to other related agencies. The following is the sequence of the Isbat session implementation: 1. Seminar on hilal position 2. Verification of rukyatul hilal reports from various regions 3. Conduct of the Isbat session 4. Official announcement of the determination of 1 Shawwal 1447 H by the Minister of Religious Affairs Potential for a Different Lebaran 2026 A difference in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr is likely to occur, similar to the start of fasting. Muhammadiyah set 18 February 2026 for 1 Ramadan 1447 H, followed by the government and NU the next day. A similar potential may also occur during Lebaran. Muhammadiyah, through the Central Leadership Memorandum Number 2/MLM/I.0/E/2025, has already decided that Eid al-Fitr will fall on Friday, 20 March 2026. Meanwhile, based on the Hijriah calendar issued by Kemenag, 1 Shawwal 1447 H is set for Saturday, 21 March 2026. However, the government’s official decision still awaits the results of the Isbat session to be held tomorrow, Thursday. Schedules of Muhammadiyah & Predictions of NU, BMKG, BRIN As of now, Muhammadiyah, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) have provided their respective predictions, while the government is still awaiting the Isbat session results. Muhammadiyah Muhammadiyah is the organisation that sets the Lebaran date earliest. Through the Central Leadership Memorandum on the determination of Ramadan, Shawwal, and Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 H, the organisation sets 1 Shawwal 1447 H to fall on Friday, 20 March 2026. This determination is carried out using the contemporary hakiki hisab method, referring to the Single Global Hijriah Calendar (KHGT). With this method, the start of the month is determined based on astronomical calculations without waiting for hilal observation. BRIN Meanwhile, BRIN predicts that Eid al-Fitr is likely to fall on Saturday, 21 March 2026. BRIN researcher Thomas Djamaluddin explained that the hilal position at sunset on 19 March 2026 in the Southeast Asia region does not yet meet the criteria used by the government. These criteria refer to the MABIMS standards (Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore), namely a minimum hilal height of 3 degrees and a minimum elongation of 6.4 degrees to be declared visible. Based on astronomical calculations, the hilal position at maghrib on 19 March is estimated to still be below those criteria, so there is a possibility that 1 Shawwal will fall on 21 March 2026. BMKG BMKG has conveyed a similar view. This agency estimates that the height of the hilal at sunset on 19 March 2026 will be in the range of 0.91 degrees in Merauke to 3.13 degrees in Sabang. Meanwhile, the geocentric elongation is estimated to be in the range of 4.54 degrees to 6.1 degrees. These figures are considered not fully meeting the MABIMS criteria for determining the start of Shawwal month. BMKG also reminds that in the rukyat process, observers need to be wary of the possibility of planets or bright stars near the moon that could be mistaken for the hilal. NU Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) usually follows the government’s decision in determining the start of Shawwal. This is because NU uses the hilal rukyat method combined with hisab as a calculation aid. Government The government will only set the official Lebaran date through the Isbat session to be held on 19 March 2026 at the Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, Jakarta. The session will involve astronomy experts, Islamic community organisations, and scientific institutions such as BMKG and BRIN. If the rukyat results indicate that the hilal does not meet visibility criteria, then Eid al-Fitr 2026 is most likely to fall on 21 March 2026. However, if the hilal is sighted, Lebaran could fall on 20 March 2026. Thus, the potential for differences in Lebaran determination is once again open, as has occurred several times in previous years in Indonesia.