JAKARTA - The government has set 1 Ramadan 1447 H to fall on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) and Commission VIII of the DPR invite Muslims to maintain unity and respect each other when there are differences in starting fasting.
The appeal was made after the Isbat Session for the determination of 1 Ramadan in Jakarta, Tuesday (17/2/2026). Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar emphasized that the government's decision was taken through a process that combined religious and scientific considerations.
"The initial determination of Ramadan is carried out through a mechanism that we have been implementing for years, namely combining hisab and rukyat. This decision is not only a technical consideration, but also part of the government's responsibility to provide certainty for the people," said the Minister of Religion as quoted from the official website of the Ministry of Religion.
The Minister of Religion asked the public to respond to possible differences with maturity. "Even if someone starts differently, let's respect it. Indonesia has a long experience in dealing with differences with harmony. Let's not let technical differences reduce our brotherhood as fellow Muslims," he said.
Chairman of Commission VIII of the DPR, Marwan Dasopang, conveyed that the session discussed the determination of the beginning of Ramadan by considering religious principles and scientific principles. Based on the exposure of the Hisab Rukyat Team of the Ministry of Religion, the position of the crescent moon is still below the horizon so that it is not possible to be seen. "The crescent moon is not possible to be seen because its position is still minus," said Marwan.
Marwan emphasized that the difference in methods in determining the beginning of the Hijriah month should not be a reason for division. He also mentioned that Commission VIII of the DPR supported the steps of the Minister of Religion to continue to bring together various approaches to determining the beginning of the Hijriah month, including the global calendar discourse, in order to create unity among the people in the future. The Isbat session was attended by the General Chair of the MUI, the Director General of Islamic Bimas, the leaders of Islamic organizations, as well as representatives of BMKG, BRIN, BIG, Jakarta Planetarium, and the Kemenag Hisab Rukyat Team, which presented the results of observations and calculations of the hilal position in all regions of Indonesia.
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