RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta — The Indonesian government has declared that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijri will fall on Thursday, February 19, 2026. The decision followed an isbat (confirmation) meeting chaired by Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar in Jakarta on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of mandatory fasting from dawn to sunset. During this period, Muslims abstain from food, drink and other physical needs during daylight hours as an act of worship and self-discipline.

“The isbat meeting agreed that the first day of Ramadan 1447 Hijri falls on Thursday, February 19, 2026,” Minister Nasaruddin said at a press conference after the meeting, as quoted on the Ministry's official website.

He said the deliberation referred to the results of hisab (astronomical calculations) and rukyat (crescent sighting) conducted by the ministry’s Hisab Rukyat Team in coordination with Islamic organizations and confirmed by observers at at least 96 monitoring points across the country.

Based on the presentation, the crescent’s height across Indonesia ranged between minus 2 degrees 24 minutes 43 seconds (minus 2.41 degrees) and minus 0 degrees 55 minutes 41 seconds (minus 0.93 degrees). The angular elongation ranged from 0 degrees 56 minutes 23 seconds (0.94 degrees) to 1 degree 53 minutes 36 seconds (1.89 degrees).

Minister Nasaruddin said the crescent’s position did not meet the MABIMS criteria for crescent visibility, which require a minimum height of 3 degrees and a minimum elongation of 6.4 degrees, as agreed by the religious affairs ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore under the MABIMS framework.

“Therefore, not only does it not meet the imkan rukyat criteria, but astronomically, the crescent is not yet possible to be seen. Based on today’s calculation, it does not meet the MABIMS visibility criteria,” he said.

Field reports also confirmed the calculation results. The ministry conducted rukyat observations at 96 locations across all provinces, and no observers reported seeing the crescent.

“No reports of crescent sightings were received from any observation points. Even in other Islamic countries, none have met the imkan rukyat criteria, and the Turkish version of the Global Hijri Calendar does not begin Ramadan tomorrow,” Minister Nasaruddin said.

“Based on the calculation results and the absence of crescent sighting reports, the isbat meeting agreed that 1 Ramadan 1447 Hijri falls on Thursday, February 19, 2026,” he added.

In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, Muslims typically fast for around 13 hours per day during Ramadan, depending on the length of daylight. The fasting month lasts 29 or 30 days, based on lunar observations, and concludes with the celebration of Idul Fitri, known internationally as Eid al-Fitr.

Nasaruddin hopes that the decision will allow Muslims in Indonesia to begin fasting simultaneously. He also urged those with differing views on the start of Ramadan not to let differences lead to division.

“If some Muslims hold different beliefs regarding the start of Ramadan, we appeal that such differences do not cause division. Let differences become a source of richness and a beautiful mosaic of the Indonesian nation. We have experience living with differences while remaining united,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Romo Syafi’i, House of Representatives Commission VIII Speaker Marwan Dasopang, Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Chairman Anwar Iskandar and Islamic Community Guidance Director General Abu Rokhmad, along with leaders of Islamic organizations, astronomy experts from universities and representatives of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Geospatial Information Agency and the Jakarta Planetarium. ***