Getting to Know Various Ways to Determine Eid Day

The government will conduct observations of the crescent moon to determine the date of Eid al-Fitr, 1 Shawwal 1446 Hijri, on Saturday evening (29/3/2025). The results will be announced during the Isbat Meeting held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs office in Jakarta at 6:30 PM.

Before listening to the announcement of Eid al-Fitr, which will be delivered by Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar later tonight, the public needs to understand the differences in the methods of determining the new moon used by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) and Islamic organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.

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

With this method, the beginning of the month is determined if the crescent moon has already formed. The crescent moon is considered formed after the conjunction 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 extended to 30 days.

"Throughout all regions of Indonesia, the moon is still below the horizon, thus not meeting the wujudul hilal criteria. Therefore, the duration of Ramadan 1446 AH is completed to 30 days, and 1 Syawal 1446 AH falls on Monday Pahing, March 31, 2025 AD," stated the announcement of PP Muhammadiyah in Announcement Number 1/MLM/I.0/E/2025, signed by the General Chairman of PP Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir.

This marks the final year for PP Muhammadiyah to use the hisab method and transition to the Single Global Hijri Calendar (KHGT) starting next year. Under the KHGT system, the Earth is regarded as a single global matlak unit, allowing the entire world to determine the beginning of the Hijri month on the same day.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) use the rukyatul hilal method (direct observation) with the assistance of Hisab Hakiki Imkan Rukyat to determine the beginning of the Hijri month. The rukyat method is carried out by observing the crescent moon with the naked eye or with the help of optical instruments, such as telescopes.

If the crescent moon is not visible, then the age of the month is rounded up to 30 days and the 1st of the new month is set at the time of Maghrib the following day. Currently, the Ministry of Religion and NU have used new criteria from MABIMS (Ministry of Religion of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore) in implementing the rukyatul hilal method, namely the minimum height of the crescent moon is 3 degrees and the minimum elongation distance is 6.4 degrees.

Director General of Islamic Community Development (Bimas) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Abu Rokhmad explained, Rukyat hilal is not just a ceremonial and technical activity of seeing the hilal. This is a cross-sector collaboration that shows that science and faith can go hand in hand.

With the spirit of astronomy and Islamic propagation, he said, rukyatul hilal is expected to not only provide accurate results, but also inspire a love of science.

"Some people ask, why bother if the results are clear? This is precisely where the challenge lies. This is not just about the results, but about the process, about scientific proof, and about spreading Islam," said Abu.

Meanwhile, crescent moon monitoring will be held in 33 locations throughout Indonesia. However, crescent moon observation in Bali Province was canceled because it coincides with Nyepi Day (Saka New Year 1947).

Based on data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the position of the crescent moon is still below the horizon because its height is negative. When the sun sets on Saturday (3/29/2025) evening, the height of the crescent moon is at minus 1.85 degrees in Jakarta to minus 1.08 degrees in Banda Aceh. Its elongation reaches 1.06 degrees in Jakarta to 1.21 degrees in Banda Aceh.

As a result, there is very little chance of seeing the crescent moon or in other words the rukyat method cannot be used. Therefore, the age of the month of Ramadan will be fulfilled using the reckoning method to be 30 days and Idup Fitri 1 Syawal 1446 Hijriah kemuningkan will fall on Monday (31/3/2025). All Islamic communities from any mass organization will celebrate Victory Day simultaneously.

Head of Fatwa Division of Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Asrorun Niam Sholeh added, the determination of the beginning of Ramadan, Syawal, and Dzulhijjah is done based on rukyah and hisab methods by the Government through the Minister of Religion and applies nationally. This is in accordance with MUI Fatwa No. 2 of 2004 concerning the Determination of the Beginning of Ramadan, Syawal, and Dzulhijjah.

He asserted that this difference is not a big problem among fellow Muslims in Indonesia. The isbat session is the right time to sit together according to their knowledge in the fields of religion and astronomy which is strengthened by the presence of the leaders who decide it.

"For that reason, we are waiting for the isbat session and we will set it for 1 Syawal 1446 Hijri," said Niam.