Ministry of Religious Affairs to Hold 'Isbat' Session Tomorrow: Will Eid al-Adha Dates be Consistent?
The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) will hold an ‘Isbat’ session to determine the start of 1 Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah in Jakarta on Sunday, May 17th. This will serve as a reference for determining the date of Eid al-Adha 2026 in Indonesia.
The ‘Isbat’ session for the determination of the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 H will be held on Sunday, May 17th, 2026, in Jakarta. The agenda will discuss the results of the new moon observation and determine the beginning of the month of Zulhijah in the Hijri calendar.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ website, the ‘Isbat’ session is held to discuss and decide based on the observation of the new moon for the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 H, which will be conducted at 88 locations throughout Indonesia.
“This observation is an important part of the ‘Isbat’ session (determination) of the beginning of Zulhijah and also the preparation for the implementation of Eid al-Adha 1447 H,” said the Ministry of Religious Affairs on its website on Tuesday, May 12th.
The ‘Isbat’ session on Sunday will be held at the H.M. Rasjidi Auditorium, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta. The session will begin with a seminar on the position and determination of the new moon, starting around 4:00 PM local time.
The series of activities will include a live-streamed seminar on the position of the new moon, a report on the results of the observation, the ‘Isbat’ session, and a press conference to announce the results.
Here is the agenda for the ‘Isbat’ session for 1 Zulhijah 1447 H to determine Eid al-Adha 2026:
Seminar on the Position of the New Moon (live)
Report on the Results of the Observation
‘Isbat’ Session
Press Conference (live)
Meanwhile, both the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) predict that there will be no difference in the determination of the date of Eid al-Adha 1447 Hijriah, as happened with the determination of Eid al-Fitr in 2026.
“Hopefully, Eid al-Adha 1447 H will be uniform,” said BRIN researcher Thomas Djamaluddin on Thursday, May 14th, as quoted by detik.com.
Thomas explained that this is because, during the ‘Isbat’ session to be held on May 17th, the position of the new moon at sunset will be high enough throughout Indonesia and almost the entire world.
He explained that, based on astronomical calculations, the criteria for determining the beginning of Zulhijah—whether for Muhammadiyah, the government, or Saudi Arabia—are expected to be the same.
“Therefore, the KHGT (Muhammadiyah) will be the same as Ummul Quro (Saudi Arabia) and MABIMS (the government), the beginning of Zulhijah 1447 will be the same as May 18th, 2026, and Eid al-Adha will be on May 27th, 2026,” he said.
Thomas said that the certainty of the determination of Eid al-Adha still depends on the results of the government’s ‘Isbat’ session, which will be held on Sunday afternoon. However, he believes that the possibility of a change in the date of Eid al-Adha 2026 from May 27th is very small.
Meanwhile, according to BMKG’s forecast, the height of the new moon in Indonesia at sunset on May 17th, 2026, will range from 3.29 degrees in Merauke, Papua, to 6.95 degrees in Sabang, Aceh.
At that time, the geocentric elongation in Indonesia at sunset on May 17th, 2026, will range from 8.91 degrees in Merauke, Papua, to 10.62 degrees in Sabang, Aceh.
These predictions indicate that the height of the new moon and the angle of elongation meet the requirements of the MABIMS criteria, namely a minimum new moon height of 3 degrees with an elongation angle of 6.4 degrees.
This means that 1 Zulhijah will fall on May 18th and Eid al-Adha, on the 10th of Zulhijah, will be celebrated on May 27th, as predicted by BRIN.
Meanwhile, the Central Executive Board (PP) of Muhammadiyah has long ago determined the beginning of Ramadan, Syawal, and Zulhijah for the year 1447 Hijriah. This determination is based on the results of the ‘hisab hakiki wujudul hilal’ method, which is used by the Tarjih and Tajdid Council of PP Muhammadiyah.
Based on the Decree of the Central Executive Board of Muhammadiyah No. 2/MLM/1.0/E/2025, which was released in Yogyakarta on September 22nd, 2025, PP Muhammadiyah determined that 1 Zulhijah 1447 H will fall on Monday Kliwon, May 18th, 2026.
Therefore, the Day of Arafah (9th of Zulhijah) will coincide with Tuesday Pon, May 26th, 2026, and Eid al-Adha (10th of Zulhijah) will be celebrated on Wednesday Wage, May 27th, 2026.