FatwaSarawakAstronomy & Calendar
FATWA PENGGUNAAN KRITERIA BAHARU IMKANUR RUKYAH BAGI PENENTUAN AWAL BULAN HIJRIAH DALAM KALENDAR HIJRAH DI MALAYSIA
What are the new Imkanur Rukyah criteria used in determining the start of a Hijri month in Malaysia?
Short answer
The Majlis Islam Sarawak adopted new Imkanur Rukyah criteria, which are crescent visibility conditions used as the basis for determining the start of a Hijri month in the Malaysian Hijri calendar: at sunset, the moon's altitude is not less than 3 degrees and the moon-sun…
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Sarawak State Mufti Department
- Status
- Fatwa committee decision
- Series
- Info Fatwa
- Topic
- Astronomy & Calendar
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
The Majlis Islam Sarawak adopted new Imkanur Rukyah criteria, which are crescent visibility conditions used as the basis for determining the start of a Hijri month in the Malaysian Hijri calendar: at sunset, the moon's altitude is not less than 3 degrees and the moon-sun elongation is not less than 6.4 degrees. Implementation begins in 2021 (1443H), and the fatwa took effect on 6 August 2021. The gazetted English version of the fatwa states the moon's altitude as 'not more than three degree', which conflicts with the Malay text's 'not less than', and this summary follows the Malay text. The fatwa also notes that the Hijri calendar is the reference for Islamic festivals, the zakat haul, the iddah period, the age of puberty and other religious matters tied to the Hijri year.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Kriteria baharu Imkanur Rukyah bagi penentuan awal bulan hijriah dalam kalendar hijrah di Malaysia, iaitu ketika matahari terbenam ketinggian bulan tidak kurang dari tiga darjah (3°) dan jarak lengkung bulan Matahari (elongasi) tidak kurang dari enam perpuluhan empat darjah (6.4°)
Read the full fatwa on the Sarawak website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Sarawak State Mufti Department. “FATWA PENGGUNAAN KRITERIA BAHARU IMKANUR RUKYAH BAGI PENENTUAN AWAL BULAN HIJRIAH DALAM KALENDAR HIJRAH DI MALAYSIA”, date not stated. https://muftinegeri.sarawak.gov.my/web/subpage/fatwa_list/#fatwa-penggunaan-kriteria-baharu-imkanur-rukyah-bagi-penentuan-awal-bulan-hijriah-dalam-kalendar-hijrah-di-malaysia. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/new-imkanur-rukyah-criteria-hijri-month/