What you should know about this topic?
Do you realise that Hari Raya Aidilfitri seem to arrive earlier with each passing year on our calendars? Let’s understand how are the Aidilfitri dates determined.
For Malaysians, Hari Raya Aidilfitri isn’t just a celebration for Malay and Muslim communities — it’s a national event that brings together people of all backgrounds in a spirit of openness and forgiveness.
Yet, many Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, probably find themselves puzzled by the “moving date” of this important festival every year.
The following insights will help you understand how the date for Hari Raya Aidilfitri is determined.
The 33-year cycle
Every year, Aidilfitri is celebrated 10 to 12 days earlier than the year before, because it is based on the Islamic calendar, with months that are 29 or 30 days long.
The full cycle of when Aidilfitri starts is repeated every 33 years. This is because the Islamic Hijri calendar is based on the lunar cycle and it takes 33 years to complete one full cycle.
A lunar calendar – based on stages of the Moon, has only 354 days, 11 days shorter than 365-day Gregorian calendar, which is based on the solar year.
This 33-year cycle also implies that Aidilfitri occasionally occurs around other major festivities in Malaysia such as Chinese New Year and Deepavali.
These phenomena are observed to take place every 33 years. Such occurrence are often referred as “Kongsi Raya” and “Deepa Raya” respectively.
How to decide when Aidilfitri starts?
In Malaysia, the start of Aidilfitri is determined using two methods: hisab (calculations or mathematics) and rukyah (moon sighting).
These methods determine the start of Syawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar that marks Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
What are hisab and rukyah?
Hisab is a scientific method that determines the Moon’s position through mathematical and astronomical calculations.
This method can predict when the hilal (an Arabic word for crescent moon) should be visible, making it precise and consistent.
Rukyah is the traditional practice of physically sighting the new Moon at designated locations either using the naked eye, telescopes or both.
How the moon sighting process takes place?
Malaysia follows the Imkanur Rukyah criteria, which establish whether the Moon is visible based on specific conditions:
1. The Moon must have been in conjunction (aligned with the sun and earth) before sunset.
2. At sunset, the altitude of the Moon must be at least 3 degrees above the horizon (or ufuk in Malay); while the elongation (or jarak lengkung in Malay) between the Moon and the Sun must be at least 6.4 degrees.
If the crescent moon is sighted, Aidilfitri falls the next day. Otherwise, fasting continues for one more day to complete 30 days of Ramadan.
This is why the crescent is widely used to symbolise and refer to Islam.
It takes the Moon 29.5 days to complete a lunar cycle. As a month cannot have half a day, Islamic months are either 29 or 30 days long — never 31.
The moon sighting process in Malaysia takes place at 29 official locations nationwide. It is managed by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and the Conference of Rulers (Majlis Raja-Raja Melayu), as follows:
- Announcement of sighting date — The Office of the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal (Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja) announces the date for moon sighting, usually on the 29th day of Ramadan.
- Observation — State Mufti Departments conduct moon sightings at the designated locations after sunset.
- Reporting and declaration — Observers report their findings to the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal, who makes the official announcement on whether the new month has begun.
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