Why NU Continues to Use Hilal Sighting to Determine the Start of Ramadan
Jakarta, VIVA – Differences over the determination of the start of Hijri months have once again become a topic of public discussion ahead of Ramadan 2026. The discourse this time centres on the use of the Single Global Hijri Calendar (KHGT) as a reference for the start of fasting.
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has affirmed that it does not follow the KHGT and will continue to use the rukyatul hilal method, based on considerations of caution in determining matters of worship that carry sharia dimensions.
The statement was delivered by Ahmad Izzuddin, an official of the PBNU Falakiyah Institute, in a video broadcast on the NU Online channel cited on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. He cautioned against allowing a global approach to disrupt the substance of Muslim worship.
"We must not become so liberal as to allow the substance of our worship to be disrupted," he said, as quoted from the official NU website.
In his presentation, Ahmad Izzuddin criticised the determination of the start of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah based on the KHGT. That determination references hilal data from Alaska, United States, with an altitude of 5 degrees and an elongation of 8 hours. Based on this reference, the start of Ramadan was said to fall on 18 February 2026.
According to him, such a reference is difficult to accept as a basis for determining worship in Indonesia.
"When we base it on hilal altitude and elongation data from a region where we are not located, this should be carefully considered. Whether or not it can be used as a basis needs to be questioned," he explained.
The Islamic astronomy expert from UIN Walisongo Semarang emphasised that the obligations of worship have spatial and temporal dimensions. This means that the applicability of worship law depends on geographical location and local time.
"This means that if in our space and time the sign of the hilal has not yet appeared, then we are actually not obligated to perform the worship," he stressed.
Beyond the factor of hilal visibility, NU also takes into account time zone differences. He assessed that Alaska is not a relevant reference point due to the vast time difference with Indonesia.
He provided an example: when the Maghrib prayer time in Alaska is at 19:12, it is already Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 11:12 in the morning in Indonesia.
"Here it is evident that it is simply not possible to accept the commencement of Ramadan fasting on that day," he said.
For this reason, NU maintains its adherence to the rukyatul hilal method — direct observation of the hilal within Indonesian territory as the basis for determining the start of Ramadan.
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has affirmed that it does not follow the KHGT and will continue to use the rukyatul hilal method, based on considerations of caution in determining matters of worship that carry sharia dimensions.
The statement was delivered by Ahmad Izzuddin, an official of the PBNU Falakiyah Institute, in a video broadcast on the NU Online channel cited on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. He cautioned against allowing a global approach to disrupt the substance of Muslim worship.
"We must not become so liberal as to allow the substance of our worship to be disrupted," he said, as quoted from the official NU website.
In his presentation, Ahmad Izzuddin criticised the determination of the start of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah based on the KHGT. That determination references hilal data from Alaska, United States, with an altitude of 5 degrees and an elongation of 8 hours. Based on this reference, the start of Ramadan was said to fall on 18 February 2026.
According to him, such a reference is difficult to accept as a basis for determining worship in Indonesia.
"When we base it on hilal altitude and elongation data from a region where we are not located, this should be carefully considered. Whether or not it can be used as a basis needs to be questioned," he explained.
The Islamic astronomy expert from UIN Walisongo Semarang emphasised that the obligations of worship have spatial and temporal dimensions. This means that the applicability of worship law depends on geographical location and local time.
"This means that if in our space and time the sign of the hilal has not yet appeared, then we are actually not obligated to perform the worship," he stressed.
Beyond the factor of hilal visibility, NU also takes into account time zone differences. He assessed that Alaska is not a relevant reference point due to the vast time difference with Indonesia.
He provided an example: when the Maghrib prayer time in Alaska is at 19:12, it is already Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 11:12 in the morning in Indonesia.
"Here it is evident that it is simply not possible to accept the commencement of Ramadan fasting on that day," he said.
For this reason, NU maintains its adherence to the rukyatul hilal method — direct observation of the hilal within Indonesian territory as the basis for determining the start of Ramadan.