MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – While Muhammadiyah has already declared Wednesday, April 10, 2024 as Eid al-Fitr, the movement acknowledges potential discrepancies in the holiday’s date.
Haedar Nashir, President of Muhammadiyah, addressed this during a Ramadan gathering with editors and journalists on Saturday (6/4) in Yogyakarta. He emphasized that the public should not be confused if other groups announce different dates for Eid al-Fitr, even if they ultimately celebrate it on the same day. “The ways of determining the holiday may differ,” Haedar explained.
In an effort to bridge this gap and achieve global unity, Muhammadiyah is actively promoting the single global hijri calendar. This calendar, Haedar envisions, would not be limited to Indonesia but would be adopted by Muslims worldwide. He believes such a unified system would eliminate future date discrepancies.
Haedar views the global hijri calendar as a solution to Islam’s “civilizational debt,” referring to the lack of a universally accepted Islamic calendar. “The goal is to have one new date that applies to all countries, similar to the Gregorian calendar,” he stated.
Muhammadiyah argues that relying on individual national calendars perpetuates the issue of differing dates for important Islamic holidays.
Beyond this calendar initiative, Haedar highlighted the importance of respecting differences, exemplified by the practice of Ramadan fasting. He emphasized that Ramadan goes beyond simply altering eating habits; it’s a time to deepen piety and righteousness.
In Muhammadiyah’s view, piety extends beyond the individual. It applies within families, communities, and even at the national and international level. Haedar hopes that the core values of piety will foster mutual respect and tolerance despite the inevitable differences across the globe.
