UIN Walisongo Semarang Sends Hilal Monitoring Teams In Four Locations

SEMARANG - The State Islamic University (UIN) Walisongo Semarang deployed a team to observe the new moon for the month of Ramadan 1443 Hijri at four different locations in Central Java Province.

"There are four locations to see the new moon for the month of Ramadan in 2022," said the Head of the Center for Community Service at the Research and Community Service Institute (LP2M) UIN Walisongo Rikza Chamami in Semarang, Friday April 1.

The four locations for monitoring the new moon are the Planetarium and Observatory of UIN Walisongo Semarang, the Al Husna Tower of the Great Mosque of Central Java, Kendal Harbor, and Kartini Beach Jepara.

According to him, monitoring the new moon is a routine activity carried out by UIN Walisongo Semarang ahead of Ramadan.

"In addition to Ramadan, rukyatul hilal activities are also carried out to ensure 1 Shawwal, 1 Dzulhijjah and 1 Muharram," he said, quoted by Antara.

For the rukyatul hilal 1 Ramadhan activity, UIN Walisongo Semarang collaborated with the Office of the Ministry of Religion for the Central Java Region, Ministry of Religion Kendal, Lajnah Falakiyyah PCNU Jepara, and the MAJT Hisab Team.

"We have the trust of the Ministry of Religion and Social Organizations to participate in the service in determining the beginning of Ramadan 1443 H," he said.

The hilal monitoring team deployed by UIN Walisongo is tasked with observing the visibility of the new crescent or the young crescent at sunset as a sign of the turn of the month on the Hijri calendar.

"This is to determine whether fasting will start on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the results of rukyat," he said.

Secretary of the Master of Astronomical Sciences at UIN Walisongo Ahmad Adib Rofiuddin emphasized that for the determination of the beginning of Ramadan 1443 H, UIN Walisongo is still waiting for the decision of the Isbat session held by the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia this evening.

"So far, the position of the hilal at the end of the month of Sya'ban 1443 H in all parts of Indonesia has not reached 3 degrees, meaning that it is very likely that the hilal will not be seen. This means that the new criteria for the Ministers of Religion of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ( MABIMS) used by the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia from 2022 has not been fulfilled, so it is unlikely that the new moon will be seen," he said.

Previously, UIN Walisongo held an Imsakiyah Ramadhan Workshop which produced a schedule for prayer times, imsak times and iftar times as a guide for Muslims during the Holy Month of Ramadan.