MUI urges Muslims to await Eid al-Fitr determination ruling from government council
Jakarta (ANTARA) — The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has urged Muslims to await the outcome of the government’s Isbat council session scheduled for Thursday, 19 March 2026, amid the potential for divergence between government rulings and decisions by religious organisations.
“The determination of the beginning of Shawwal remains dependent on the results of field observations (rukyat) and the government’s Isbat council decision,” stated MUI Deputy Chairman Cholil Nafis in Jakarta on Monday.
The government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), will convene the Isbat session at the Kemenag office on Thamrin Street, Central Jakarta.
Kiai Cholil explained the general position of the hilal across Indonesia based on astronomical calculations. On Thursday, 19 March 2026, or the 29th of Ramadhan, the conjunction (ijtima’) of the sun and moon will occur at 08:25 Western Indonesian Time (WIB).
After sunset on that day, he noted, the hilal will be positioned above the horizon, but its elevation will remain low. In many regions of Indonesia, the hilal’s height will only be approximately 1–2 degrees and will persist for approximately 10 minutes after sunset, making it generally extremely difficult to observe with the naked eye.
“The most favourable conditions will be in Aceh, as Aceh has the best hilal position in Indonesia, with a hilal height of approximately 2°51’ and an elongation of approximately 6°09’,” said Kiai Cholil.
“Theoretically, there is therefore a possibility of observation, but the conditions remain extremely marginal,” he added.
Kiai Cholil further explained that Indonesia currently employs the MABIMS imkanur rukyat standard—the agreed-upon standard for determining the beginning of the Islamic lunar month, which was jointly ratified by the religious ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Under the MABIMS imkanur rukyah criteria, a minimum hilal height of 3 degrees and an elongation of 6.4 degrees are required for scientific deeming of observational feasibility. However, in Aceh, calculations indicate a height of 2.51 degrees and an elongation of 6.09 degrees, falling slightly below the stipulated criteria.
“Given the minimal discrepancy, observers will still conduct their observations, but the likelihood of visibility remains extremely marginal,” he said.
Consequently, based on astronomical calculations, Kiai Cholil stated that the hilal will be positioned above the horizon, though it will remain low across nearly all of Indonesia. Even in Aceh, which has the most favourable conditions, the hilal will still fall slightly below the imkanur rukyah threshold. In light of this potential divergence, Muslims have been invited to demonstrate mutual respect for one another.