National

NU announces Idul Fitri will fall on Monday

Ahad, 27 Juli 2014 | 14:12 WIB

Jakarta, NU Online
In order to determine the 1st of Shawwal 1435 H (Idul Fitri), the Nahdlatul Ulama deployed its technical team for crescent "rukyatul hilal" observation (LFNU) on Sunday, July 27, 2014 in some locations.<>

Following reports from the NU hilal team for confirming sightings of the new crescent, the Indonesia's largest Muslim organization officially declared that "the Ist of Syawwal 1435 H will fall on Monday (28/7)."

While, the government also decided in the isbat (confirmation) meeting on Sunday evening that the Ist of Syawwal 1435 H would fall on the same day.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said his ministry and other officials at the closed isbat meeting had received reports of the appearance of hilal (new crescent) from astronomers of the Hisab Rukyat Board at the Jakarta Planetarium.

"After hearing the reports from the hilal observers, clerics and Islamic organizations, we decided that the first day of Syawal [Idul Fitri] will fall on Monday," he said at a press conference broadcast live on TV after the meeting.

Experts from both Indonesia's largest Islamic organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, earlier said Idul Fitri would most likely fall on Monday.

Followers of the two Islamic organizations began Ramadhan on different days, saying they had different ways of determining the start of the fasting month.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq