Eid al-Fitr 2026 likely on March 21 as hilal fails the visibility criteria
Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—The Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag) says that Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri will most likely fall on March 21, 2026. This conclusion is because astronomical...
Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—The Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry (Kemenag) says that Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri will most likely fall on March 21, 2026. This conclusion is because astronomical calculations showed that the crescent moon, or hilal, is not visible enough across the country.
The Hisab Rukyat Team from the government shared the results at a seminar in Central Jakarta on Thursday, March 19, before the isbat session. The team says that the hilal is still below the standard set by the MABIMS agreement. MABIMS includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
A member of the Hisab Rukyat Team, Cecep Nurwendaya, said that some places, especially in Aceh Province, had a hilal height that was higher than the minimum of 3 degrees. However, the elongation, which is the angle between the moon and the sun, did not reach the minimum of 6.4 degrees.
“The findings indicate that some regions meet the altitude standard but not the elongation requirement, despite MABIMS mandating both conditions at the same time,” Cecep said.
The team used these numbers to figure out that the first day of Shawwal 1447 H will most likely be on Saturday, March 21, 2026. Cecep, on the other hand, said that the calculation (hisab) is more of a helpful guide than a final decision.
Hisab (astronomical calculation) and rukyat (moon sighting) are two ways that Indonesia figures out when Islamic months start. Ramadan and Shawwal are two of these months. The rukyat process confirms the calculated data.
“We already have the results of the calculations, but we still need to wait for the rukyat observations. Rukyat is proof,” he said.
The team also said that, in theory, you should not be able to see the crescent because it is below the visibility threshold at sunset. This makes the guess that Eid will be on March 21 even more likely.
The government will determine the official decision during the isbat session from 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM. The government should make the final decision public by 7:25 PM.
Muslims all over Indonesia look forward to the yearly announcement of Eid al-Fitr. It marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of one of the biggest religious holidays in the country.
Officials are preparing for the announcement, and the government is urging the public to wait for its final decision. This comes after both astronomical analysis and direct observation of the moon.
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