Eid Set to Fall on Monday, March 31, 2025

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The government has determined that 1 Syawal 1446 Hijri will fall on Monday, March 31, 2025. With this determination, the majority of Muslims in Indonesia will celebrate Eid al-Fitr simultaneously. The decision on the day of Eid was established based on the results of the isbat meeting held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office on Saturday (29/3/2025).

"It has been agreed that the 1st of Syawal 1446 Hijri falls on Monday, March 31, 2025 AD. Thus, an istiqmal occurs, or it is completed to 30 days, and tonight we will still perform Tarawih prayers," said Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar at the Haji Mohammad Rasjidi Auditorium of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Jakarta, Saturday (29/3/2025).

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) uses the method of calculation or direct observation of the crescent moon. Crescent moon monitoring is conducted at 33 locations across Indonesia. This year, crescent moon observation in Bali Province is canceled as it coincides with the Nyepi holiday (Saka New Year 1947).

At sunset on Saturday evening (29/3/2025), the altitude of the crescent moon was not yet visible as it remained at minus 1.85 degrees in Jakarta and minus 1.08 degrees in Banda Aceh. The elongation of the crescent moon reached 1.06 degrees in Jakarta and 1.21 degrees in Banda Aceh.

In fact, the Ministry of Religious Affairs uses the criteria of implementing the rukyatul hilal method based on the joint agreement of the Ministers of Religious Affairs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (MABIMS), which stipulates that the minimum height of the crescent moon is 3 degrees and the minimum elongation distance is 6.4 degrees.

Therefore, the new moon could not be sighted, and the month of Ramadan will be completed to 30 days. Accordingly, Eid al-Fitr 1 Shawwal 1446 AH is likely to be determined to fall on Monday (31/3/2025).

Those involved in the isbat session included representatives of friendly nations' ambassadors; the Chair of Commission VIII of the House of Representatives; the Supreme Court; the Indonesian Ulema Council; as well as the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency. Also present were representatives from several related institutions, such as the Geospatial Information Agency, the National Research and Innovation Agency, the Bosscha Observatory of the Bandung Institute of Technology, and the Jakarta Planetarium.

In addition, experts in astronomy from Islamic community organizations, members of the Hisab Rukyat Team of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as well as leaders of Islamic organizations and Islamic boarding schools also participated in the isbat session.

Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah became the first community organization to determine that 1 Syawal 1446 Hijri falls on Monday, March 31, 2025. This decision was based on the hisab hakiki wujudul hilal, a method for determining the beginning of the Hijri month that is consistently used by the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership.

With this method, the beginning of the month is determined when the new moon has been realized. The crescent moon is realized after ijtima occurs before sunset, the moon sets after the sun, and the upper disk of the moon is above the horizon at sunset. If any of these criteria are not met, the month is shortened to 30 days.

"In all regions of Indonesia, the moon is also still below the horizon so that it does not meet the criteria for the existence of the crescent moon. Therefore, the age of the month of Ramadan 1446 H is perfected to 30 days, and 1 Shawwal 1446 H falls on Monday Pahing, March 31, 2025 AD," said the PP Muhammadiyah Circular Number 1/MLM/I.0/E/2025 signed by the General Chairperson of PP Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir.

This is the last year that PP Muhammadiyah uses the hisab method and switches to the Single Global Hijri Calendar (KHGT) starting next year. In the KHGT system, the earth is considered as one global absolute unity so that the whole world will set the beginning of the Hijri month on the same day.