MUI Urges Mutual Respect For Possible Differences In The Beginning Of Ramadan

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) appeals to the public to respect each other regarding the possibility of determining the beginning of Ramadan 1443 Hijri which is different between the government and Muhammadiyah.

"Differences are sunnatullah, an inevitability. Our people are also different. Don't harass, mock, let alone slander," said MUI Secretary General Amirsyah Tambunan as quoted by Antara, Monday, March 28.

Amirsyah said there was a difference in determining the beginning of the Hijri month. Some use the reckoning method (astronomical calculation of the moon's position) and the rukyat method (observation of the visibility of the new moon).

However, he said, the two methods are actually one unit, because both reckoning and rukyat confirm each other in determining the beginning of the Hijri month.

"Why is there a difference? Because there are different viewing points of view. The point of seeing it is actually with science and technology, not just with a direct head but using science, technology, and scientific studies," he said.

Therefore, he asked for differences to make Muslims in Indonesia tolerant, tolerant, and respectful of each other.

Previously, the Central Executive of Muhammadiyah announced that 1 Ramadan 1443 Hijriah would fall on Saturday, April 2, 2022, based on the results of the ultimate reckoning of the new moon guided by the Tarjih Council and Tajdid Muhammadiyah.

While 1 Shawwal 1443 Hijri will fall on Monday 2 May 2022. On Saturday 29 Ramadan or 30 April 2022, ijtima before Shawwal 1443 Hijri has not yet been seen.

Member of the Unification Team for the Indonesian Hijri Calendar of the Ministry of Religion, Thomas Djamaluddin, said that the beginning of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 1443 Hijriah/2022 AD could potentially be different between Muhammadiyah and the government.

The difference is due to the new guidelines from the agreement of the Ministers of Religion of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS) which are set in 2021.

"If you still use the old criteria in the western part of Indonesia, April 1 is still 2 degrees, if the old criteria have the potential for the form of the hilal, but if you look at this line there is a potential difference," said Thomas.

He said that if using the new rules from MABIMS in the form of a minimum height of the hilal of 3 degrees and an elongation of 6.4 degrees, the regions of Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Saudi Arabia had not complied. Thus, it is impossible for rukyat to occur.