Hilal Syawal 1441 H Not Seen This Afternoon

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion stated that the first moon of Shawwal this year has not been seen. An astronomy expert from the Ministry of Religion's Falakiyah Team, Cecep Nurwendaya, emphasized that there was no empirical reference to the visibility of the early Syawal 1441 H hilal that could be observed in all parts of Indonesia.

This was conveyed by Cecep when the Ministry of Religion's Falakiyah Team conducted observations of hilal at 80 points throughout Indonesia.

"All parts of Indonesia have negative hilal heights between minus 5.29 to minus 3.96 degrees. The hilal sets before the sun," said Cecep at the Early Isbat Syawal 1441 H Session in Jakarta, Friday, May 22.

Cecep explained, the determination of the beginning of the Hijri month is based on hisab and rukyat. The process of reckoning already exists and is carried out by almost all Islamic organizations.

Currently the Ministry of Religion is awaiting the outcome of the rukyat process. According to Cecep, rukyat is an astronomical observation. If there is a reference, then rukyat is accepted. If not, it means it can't be used.

"By reckoning, the beginning of Syawal 1441 H fell on Sunday. It is informative. The confirmation is waiting for the results of the rukyat and the decision of the isbat session," he added.

The Isbat Awal Syawal 1441H Session today was attended only physically by the Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi, Deputy Minister of Religion Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi, Chairperson of Commission VIII Yandri Susanto, Chairman of MUI KH Abdullah Jaidi, and Director General of Islamic Guidance and Guidance, Kamaruddin Amin.

Meanwhile, leaders of mass organizations, astronomy experts, the Religious Courts, as well as other Echelon I and II officials of the Ministry of Religion followed the isbat session through video conference media.

Position of the initial hilal of Shawwal 1441 AH

Based on data at Pelabuhan Ratu, the position of the new moon on 29 Ramadan 1441 H today in Pelabuhan Ratu is astronomically visible, the height of the hilal is minus 4.00 degrees, the distance of the moon's arc from the sun is 5.36 degrees and the age of the new moon is minus 6 hours 55 minutes 23 seconds.

Meanwhile, the basic criteria for imkanurrukyat agreed by MABIMS are a minimum of two degrees of hilal height, a minimum of 3 degrees of elongation, and a minimum age of eight hours after the ijtima 'occurs.

In this connection, said Cecep, because the altitude of the hilal is below two degrees or even minus, there is no reference to reporting the initial Syawal hilal to be observed in Indonesian territory.

"From the existing references, there is no reference whatsoever that the moonlight Syawal 1441H on Friday was observed throughout Indonesia," said Cecep.

In addition, continued Cecep, there is also no empirical reference for the visibility of the new moon if the early moon moon for Shawwal is observed in Indonesian territory.