Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is urging Muslims in Indonesia to address potential differences in determining the start of Ramadan 1447 Hijriah maturely and wisely, given the possibility that the first of Ramadan will not be uniform across Muslim communities in Indonesia.
Deputy Chairman of the MUI, KH M. Cholil Nafis on Monday stated that differences in determining the start of Ramadan could arise due to differences in the methods used to determine the new moon (hilal) between groups that have set the date for February 18, 2026, and others that use the hisab approach, with the possibility of sighting after sunset.
According to Kiai Cholil, these differences are part of the common Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) khilafiyah (religious differences) within the Islamic scholarly tradition and should not be divisive if addressed maturely and with mutual respect.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining ukhuwah Islamiyah (Muslim brotherhood) amidst these potential differences, so that the primary focus in welcoming the holy month remains on the quality of worship and increasing faith, rather than solely on conflicting dates.
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Cholil also encouraged the public to study various scientific approaches to determining the beginning of the month, such as the concepts of wihdatul mathali’ and sa’atul mathali’, but emphasized that differing views should not be turned into a source of division.
The potential for differences in the start of Ramadan is also in line with the dynamics of scientific crescent moon calculations and the differing methodologies of Islamic organizations, including hisab, rukyat, and global calendars, each of which has its own scientific and fiqh basis.
The determination of the start of Ramadan 1447 AH in Indonesia will be decided through an Isbat (confirmation) meeting held by the Ministry of Religious Affairs on February 17, 2026, involving various relevant elements, such as Islamic organizations, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), astronomers, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), and other stakeholders to produce a decision that is widely accepted by the community.
Meanwhile, some Muslims follow the global rukyat (seeing the crescent moon), which means that when Muslims in one country have sighted the crescent moon, it applies to all Muslims. []
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