Indonesia, the world`s largest Muslim-majority nation, has formally determined the synchronized schedule for the upcoming holy month of Dhul Hijjah. The country`s Ministry of Religious Affairs evaluated local crescent observations on Sunday evening, May 17, 2026, to settle administrative declarations for the public holiday. Following a national verification summit held in Jakarta, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar confirmed that the lunar month will officially commence on Monday, May 18, meaning Indonesia announces official Eid al-Adha date for Wednesday, May 27.
The technical declaration follows extensive physical tracking operations executed across 88 geographic locations.
According to a corporate brief released by the state-run Antara news agency, field data was carefully cross-checked with advanced astronomical and mathematical parameters. The tracking verified that the crescent`s physical position comfortably exceeded the institutional threshold established by the religious ministries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The regional framework dictates that the lunar moon must attain a minimum altitude of 3 degrees and an angular separation of 6.4 degrees from the sun to mark a new month. Senior Islamic jurists, astronomical specialists, and prominent civic leaders participated in the final validation process.
Concurrently, Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia`s largest independent Islamic organizations, supported the baseline schedule utilizing its singular global Hijri calendar model. The group`s standardized astronomical tracking parameters had previously projected the initial day of Eid al-Adha for May 27, placing the highly sacred Day of Arafat on Tuesday, May 26. Administrative heads from the organization noted that deploying global mathematical projections helps unify seasonal religious calendars across the global Muslim diaspora.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and neighboring Middle Eastern territories are scheduled to finalize their respective moon-sighting protocols later tonight. The verified tracking of the Dhul Hijjah crescent remains critically important as it dictates the uniform timeline for the annual Hajj pilgrimage and global sacrificial rituals. Religious bodies across the region are expected to issue final decrees within the coming hours.
