Government Sets Early Ramadan Friday, April 24

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The government through the Ministry of Religion has finished holding an isbat session to determine the start of Ramadan. As a result, it was decided that 1 Ramadan 1441 H would fall on April 24. This was conveyed by the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi.

"It is determined that the beginning of Ramadan falls tomorrow, to coincide with Friday, April 24, 2020. We welcome Ramadan with a noble determination to increase merits by asking for forgiveness," said Fachrul at the Ministry of Religion Office, Central Jakarta, Thursday, April 23.

There was a special note conveyed by Fachrul regarding the implementation of fasting in the month of Ramadan. He said, this year's Ramadan fell at a time when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, there are many things that must be adjusted so that the value of worship is not reduced and the spread of COVID-19 can be avoided.

"Even though this year we cannot break the fast together, tadarus together, tarawih together, and participate together in the mosque, this should not reduce our enthusiasm and determination to take advantage of the presence of Ramadan as an increase in our worship," explained Fachrul.

Fachrul continued, the government is also prohibited from going home, because the homecoming activity has the opportunity to transmit a virus that can be brought from the city and spread in the hometown without realizing it.

"In this situation, we have to do our best in fasting, while maintaining our health and endurance because fasting is an obligatory act of worship to increase our piety to Allah," he said.

Previously, during the isbat session, member of the Falakiyah Team of the Ministry of Religion Cecep Nurwendaya said, there was a reporting reference if the early moon moon of Ramadan 1441 Hijri was observed in Indonesian territory on Thursday, April 23, 2020.

"There is a reference that the hilal of the beginning of Ramadan 1441 Hijriah on Thursday, April 23, 2020 can be observed from the territory of Indonesia. The early moonlight of Ramadan is quite old, it is more than eight hours old. In Indonesia, the hilal is in a significant position to be seen," he said.

Cecep continued, the hilal at the beginning of Ramadan 1441 hijriah had met the criteria for visibility of the new moon set by MABIMS (Minister of Religion of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore). The height of the hilal is at least 2 degrees, the elongation of the moon to the sun is at least 3 degrees or the age of the hilal is at least 8 hours.

In addition to Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi, the chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) KH Abdullah Zaidi, Chairman of Commission VIII Yandri Susanto, Deputy Minister of Religion Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi, and Director General of Islamic Guidance and Guidance, Kamaruddin Amin, were also present.