Isbat Zulhijah Session Held Today, Determination of Iduladha Monitored from 88 Hilal Points

The government held a meeting to determine the initial date of Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah today, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (IST)

JAKARTA - The government held a meeting to determine the initial date of Zulhijah 1447 Hijriah today, Sunday, May 17, 2026. The determination of the initial month that became the basis for determining Eid al-Adha was carried out after monitoring the crescent moon in 88 points throughout Indonesia.

The Isbat trial was held at the HM Rasjidi Auditorium, Office of the Ministry of Religion, Jakarta. The process is divided into three stages. The position of the hilal seminar begins at 16.30 WIB and is open to the public. The determination session was held after Maghrib in a closed session, then the results were announced through a press conference at around 19.00 WIB.

The initial determination of Zulhijah this year has come under scrutiny as the government wants to ensure that the decisions taken have an astronomical basis as well as strong religious legitimacy. The Ministry of Religion emphasized that all rukyatulhilal data will be discussed together before being announced to the public.

Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Syariah Development at the Ministry of Religion, Arsad Hidayat, said cross-agency coordination was an important factor for the rukyat process to run accurately and be accountable.

"The implementation of rukyatulhilal is not only a routine annual agenda, but part of the religious service to the community. Therefore, coordination with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, Religious Courts, Islamic organizations, and all related parties needs to continue to be strengthened," said Arsad, quoted from the kemenag website, Sunday, May 17.

He explained that the hilal monitoring was carried out simultaneously in various regions of Indonesia to support the decision-making process in the isbat session. The government still uses the deliberation mechanism as the basis for the initial determination of the Hijri month.

According to Arsad, this approach is a way for Indonesia to maintain religious differences without triggering polemics in the community.

"The government has an astronomical calculation basis and the criteria for the MABIMS imkanur rukyat. However, before it is announced to the public, all data and inputs are discussed together in the isbat session so that the resulting decision can become a common reference," he said.

The Ministry of Religion also emphasized that PMA Number 1 of 2026 was a new foothold in strengthening the governance of the isbat trial. The regulation emphasizes the involvement of Islamic organizations, academics, experts in astronomy, to state institutions in the process of determining the beginning of the Hijri month.

In the midst of budget efficiency, a number of regions still ensure that rukyatulhilal runs. South Sulawesi, for example, focuses on monitoring at the Makassar Muslim University observatory by involving the BMKG and the Religious Court.

In North Kalimantan, monitoring was carried out in Tarakan with government elements, Islamic organizations, and the community. Meanwhile, West Sulawesi continues to hold rukyat in Mamuju even though with simple facilities.

Reports of readiness also came from North Maluku, Central Sulawesi, and a number of eastern Indonesian regions. The majority of the areas were said to have coordinated with the BMKG and the Religious Court to ensure that the monitoring of the crescent moon took place in an orderly and accurate manner.