Ramadhan to begin on Thursday

JAKARTA. After failing to see the moon on Tuesday, which usually marks the beginning of a new month in the Islamic Hijriyah calendar, the government has announced that Ramadhan this year will start on Thursday. 

The prediction follows the date set earlier by Muhammadiyah, the country’s second-largest Muslim organization, which usually determines the start of Ramadhan using astronomical calculations, also known as hisab. 

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin made the announcement after an isbat, an annual meeting in which representatives of the country’s Islamic organizations convene to determine the start of Ramadhan.

“This year, we will all start fasting on the same day. Everyone in the meeting agreed with the ministry that Ramadhan falls on Thursday,” Lukman told reporters on Tuesday in a press briefing at the ministry’s office in Central Jakarta.

According to Lukman, the ministry had made two steps of verification before coming up with the decision.

First, the ministry listened to astronomical explanations from an expert at the ministry’s office. The astronomical explanation was needed to get scientific information regarding the position of the moon from the earth.

According to the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadhan starts when the moon is first visible.

“From the explanation we heard, there is no astronomical evidence that the moon is visible [on Tuesday],” Lukman said.

He said that since by Tuesday the moon could not yet be seen, it indicated that Ramadhan would take place on Thursday.

The second step was listening to testimonies about the visibility of the crescent moon with human eyes. The ministry had previously appointed 36 people in all provinces to observe the visibility of the crescent. All the witnesses had taken an oath before giving their testimonies.

With the ministry’s announcement that Ramadhan will start on Thursday, Indonesian people will start Ramadhan together this year.

Lukman previously said that he aimed to synchronize the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan between Indonesia’s two biggest Muslim groups, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Muhammadiyah and NU often set different dates for when Ramadhan begins and ends, as Muhammadiyah relies on hisab, while NU follows rukyah, or the sighting of the new moon.

In previous years, the government’s isbat meeting often started Ramadhan a day after Muhammadiyah. 

Muhammadiyah earlier announced that the start of Ramadhan would be on Thursday this year while the end of Ramadhan, or the start of Idul Fitri, would fall on July 17.

“[Hisab] is a scientific approach the Muhammadiyah used. But, we respect those who believe in the sighting [method],” said Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin. 

“God willing we will continue trying to bring [the two methods] closer. ”

Din said Muhammadiyah had skipped the previous isbat when former minister Suryadharma Ali was in office because he believed the meetings were politicized.

“[At that time] experts used to culturally undermine Muhammadiyah, as if Muhammadiyah’s view was wrong. Moreover, most of the groups invited to the meetings were those that roughly shared a similar view with the government,” Din added. (Ina Parlina)