Indonesia's Muhammadiyah Announces First Ramadan on March 11, 2024

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is expected to commence in early March 2024. The Indonesian government has set Eid al-Fitr 1445 Hijri, locally known as Lebaran, to fall in April 2024.

Nevertheless, the government is still awaiting the sighting of the new moon and the isbat or confirmation meeting to ascertain the first day of Ramadan 1445 Hijri. One of the two largest Islamic organizations, Muhammadiyah, has announced that this year’s fasting month will begin on March 11, as quoted from its official page muhammadiyah.or.id.

It is one day earlier than the date mentioned in the Indonesian Hijri calendar for 2024 released by the Religious Affairs Ministry, which starts on March 12 and ends on April 9.

The Muhammadiyah also determined that the first day of Shawwal or Eid al-Fitr will fall on April 10. 

This discrepancy in dates is due to the application of different methods. While Muhammadiyah adopts the hisab or astronomical calculations method to determine the beginning of the Islamic month, the government, through the Religious Affairs Ministry, uses the rukyatul hilal method, or observing the moon's movement with the naked eye or telescopes. 

The government refers to the criteria for the visibility of the new moon set by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Singapore (MABIMS).

However, Muhammadiyah and the government are likely to agree on the same date for the Eid al-Fitr and Dzulhijjah this year.

KHUMAR MAHENDRA  | MYESHA FATINA RACHMAN

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