The government announced on Sunday evening that the first day of the month of Syawal, which marks the Idul Fitri celebration, will fall on Monday following an isbat (confirmation) meeting.

“The meeting decided that 1 Syawal of the 1443 Hijriah [Islamic calendar] falls on Monday, May 2”, Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said at the press conference after the meeting.

Yaqut’s ministry held the isbat meeting at dusk Jakarta time, which was attended by representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Islamic organizations, the House of Representatives, partner countries’ ambassadors and related ministries and government institutions.

Muhammadiyah, Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization, had already set the date of Idul Fitri for Monday.

Muhammadiyah relies on hisab, or astronomical calculations, to determine Ramadan and Idul Fitri every year, while the government uses a method combining astronomical calculations with an old-fashioned sighting of the moon, called rukyah.

The rukyah method is also adopted by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Islamic group.

“Hopefully, with the meeting’s result all Muslims in Indonesia will be able to celebrate Idul Fitri together,” Yaqut said

For years, Muhammadiyah had set different dates both for the start of the fasting month and for Idul Fitri.

Saudi Arabia has announced that Idul Fitri will also begin on Monday in that country. Fellow Gulf states the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have also made similar announcements. (dre)

Source:
courtesy of THE JAKARTA POST

by News Desk (The Jakarta Post)

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]