JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) provided an explanation regarding the difference in the timing of Eid al-Adha 1443 Hijri in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia after the government announced that Eid al-Adha would fall on July 10, 2022 and Saudi Arabia set Eid al-Adha to fall on July 9, 2022.
"Time in Indonesia is four hours faster, but the hilal may be seen earlier in Saudi Arabia, because it can be seen in the west at sunset or known as ghurub asy-shams," said Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Guidance at the Ministry of Religion, Adib reported by Antara, Friday, July 1.
Adib explained that further west, as time goes on, the position of the new moon or the crescent phase after the new moon will be higher and easier to see.
Because Saudi Arabia is west of Indonesia, he continued, on the same date the position of the new moon in the kingdom was higher than in Indonesia.
"So it is not correct to understand because Indonesia is four hours faster than Saudi Arabia, so Indonesia should have celebrated Eid al-Adha 1443 H earlier. Obviously this understanding is not correct," he said.
He explained, according to reckoning data, at the end of Zulkaidah 1443 Hijri, Thursday (30/6), the height of the new moon in Indonesia was between 0 degrees 53 minutes and 3 degrees 13 minutes with an elongation of 4.27 degrees to 4.97 degrees.
"Meanwhile, on the same date, the position of the hilal in Saudi Arabia is higher than the position in Indonesia. So the possibility of the hilal being seen in Saudi Arabia is very large," he said.
The Indonesian government determines the start of the month in the Hijri calendar referring to the new criteria agreed by the Minister of Religion of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS).
Adib explained that according to the MABIMS criteria, in determining the beginning of the month the elongation parameter must be a minimum of 6.4 degrees and the physical disturbance of syafak light (twilight light) which is stated with a minimum height parameter of 3 degrees.
Unlike the government, the Central Executive of Muhammadiyah has determined that Eid al-Adha on 10 Zulhijah 1443 Hijriah falls on July 9, 2022, the same as in Saudi Arabia.
The Muhammadiyah Central Executive determined that the beginning of the month of Zulhijah refers to the criteria for the form of the new moon, which is considered to have been fulfilled because the position of the moon in Indonesia was already above the horizon on Wednesday afternoon (29/6).
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