Before the start of Ramadan was set, the minister of religions listened to a report from the Religious Affairs Ministry’s Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development, Adib.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia’s Minister of Religions Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said the government has set the start of Ramadan 1444 H on Thursday, March 23, 2023, based on the results of the Isbat (determination) meeting here on Wednesday.

The isbat meeting which was held at the Ministry of Religions was attended by representatives of Islamic organizations, ambassadors of friendly countries, and the Ministry of Religion's Hisab Rukyat Team.

Before the start of Ramdhan was set, the minister of religions listened to a report from the Religious Affairs Ministry’s Director of Islamic Religious Affairs and Sharia Development, Adib.

It is reported that according to hisab (calculation), all systems agree that the ijtima ahead of Ramadan falls on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 or coincides with 29 Sha'ban 1444 H at around 00.23 WIB.

Ijtima is astronomically the boundary between the current month and the following month in the Hijri calendar. Therefore, ijtima in astronomy is called the beginning of the new moon calculation, according to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).

According to hisab, the position of the hilal (first crescent) in Indonesia during the isbat meeting on the beginning of Ramadan 1444 H, has met the new criteria set by MABIMS (the Ministries of Religions of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore).

Today (Wednesday), which coincides with 29 Shaban 1444 H, the height of the new moon in all parts of Indonesia is above the horizon, ranging from 6 degrees 46.2 minutes to 8 degrees 43.2 minutes, with an elongation angle of 7.93 degrees up to 9.54 degrees.

This is confirmed by reports of rukyat (observing the visibility of the new moon). A number of persons who carried out the rukyat reported seeing the new moon. To observe the first new moon of Ramadan, the Ministry of Religion team carried out rukyatul hilal at 124 points in 33 provinces throughout Indonesia.

"From 124 points, 12 persons who carried out the rukyat reported seeing the new moon. Thus, we agreed that 1 Ramadan 1444 H falls on Thursday, March 23, 2023," the minister of religions explained here on Wednesday.

Reporting by Indonesia Window