Jakarta: The Indonesian government has announced that Ramadan 1447 Hijriah will begin on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The determination follows a meeting to establish the start of the Islamic holy month, a key event for the country’s large Muslim population.
“Based on the results of hisab calculations and the absence of a visible crescent moon, it was agreed that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah/2026 will fall on Thursday, February 19, 2026,” said Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar in Jakarta on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
According to Umar, the elongation angle was very low, extremely minimal, ranging from 0 degrees 56 minutes 23 seconds to 1 degree 53 minutes 36 seconds. He stated that today’s hilal data did not meet the established criteria.
“In this meeting, we engaged in an open deliberation,” said Nasaruddin Umar.
The determination of Ramadan on February 19, 2026, is based on the non-visibility of the crescent moon today. However, Muhammadiyah, a prominent Indonesian Islamic organization, has determined the start of Ramadan 2026 to be February 18, 2026.
The differing dates highlight the varying methodologies used to determine the start of Ramadan, a topic of ongoing discussion within the Muslim community. Secretary-General of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Amirsyah Tambunan acknowledged the difference in timing, stating that it was a natural occurrence and should be approached with wisdom and discretion.
Crescent moon observation. Photo: Metro TV.
Buya Amirsyah also cited the views of Imam Ghazali, who did not object to the use of either hisab calculations or rukyat (visual confirmation of the crescent moon) as both fall within the realm of ijtihad (independent reasoning). He emphasized that the verses of the cosmos have a strong theological and fiqh basis, particularly in the debate over determining the beginning of the Hijri month.
“What is important is to be full of wisdom and mutual tolerance,” he said.
