Government Sets Start of Ramadan 2026 on Thursday, Feb. 19 After Isbat Session

The government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), has set the first day of fasting or 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijri/2026 to fall on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, following an isbat session held at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“The isbat session has decided that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijri/2026 falls on Thursday,” Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar said as he led the press conference announcing the decision.

The government’s decision differs from that of the central executive board of Muhammadiyah, which has declared the start of Ramadan one day earlier, on Wednesday (Feb. 18). The difference stems from the methods each side uses to determine the beginning of the Hijri month.

Cecep Nurwendaya, a member of Kemenag’s Hisab Rukyat Team, said the crescent moon’s position across Indonesia at the time of observation ranged from minus 2 degrees 24 minutes 43 seconds to minus 0 degrees 55 minutes 41 seconds, with elongation between 0 degrees 56 minutes 23 seconds and 1 degree 53 minutes 36 seconds.

Under the MABIMS criteria—set by the religious affairs ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore—the minimum crescent altitude is 3 degrees and the minimum elongation is 6.4 degrees. Based on those thresholds, 1 Ramadan was set for Thursday.

With the official government decision in place, Muslims across Indonesia can perform the first Tarawih prayers on Wednesday (Feb. 18) night.

The isbat session was attended by representatives of religious organizations, astronomers, members of the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII, and envoys from friendly countries.

The announcement was delivered both online and in person, allowing the public to follow the decision in real time through Kemenag’s official social media channels.

The session began on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time and concluded with the formal decision on the start of Ramadan.

It opened with a public briefing on the position of the new crescent (hilal), based on astronomical data presented by experts.

The isbat session weighed preliminary information drawn from astronomical calculations (hisab) and field confirmations through crescent observations (rukyatul hilal).

After Maghrib prayers in congregation, the meeting continued behind closed doors.

The decision was then announced in a press conference.

The isbat session is a forum organized by the government (the Ministry of Religious Affairs) to determine the beginning of Ramadan, Shawwal and Dhu al-Hijjah.

Since the 1950s, the forum has served as a state-facilitated space for consultation among Islamic mass organizations in setting the start of Hijri months. Through the isbat process, the government compiles hisab reports and moon-sighting observations from multiple monitoring posts.

Arsad Hidayat, director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Guidance at Kemenag, said the isbat session reflects synergy among the government, clerics and scientists to ensure the determination of Ramadan is accurate and accountable both scientifically and in accordance with Islamic law.

“The isbat session is a joint forum to verify hisab data and rukyat results before the government sets the start of Ramadan. The decision must have a scientific basis and also comply with sharia provisions,” Arsad said.

Indonesianpost.com | Antara