MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SIDOARJO — President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir highlighted different dates for Islamic events more than just the issue of methodology. It lies in the absence of a unified hijri calendar.
Haedar explained that Muhammadiyah has officially launched the Unified Global Hijri Calendar (UGHC) as an effort to unify Muslims around the world and strengthen their sense of brotherhood.
“Muhammadiyah seeks to solve a major problem that we have been dealing with for a long time, which is our disagreements over when Ramadan begins, and when we celebrate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha,” said Haedar virtually at the 45th graduation ceremony of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo (UMSIDA) on Saturday, July 26,
Haedar believed that if UGHC is adopted globally, it will help prevent future disagreements and provide clarity for Muslims when planning important events and activities.
“Islam is a religion that encourages people to seek knowledge, along with faith and good deeds. The first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad was Surah Iqra’,” said Haedar.
Haedar emphasized that the word iqra’ does not just mean to read in a literal sense, but also to understand life deeply and prepare for the future with a mindset rooted in faith in Allah. Muslims, he said, are also taught to be capable of calculating.
“This is why hisab is grounded in both the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet. If we all refer to hisab, we’ll have a calendar system that’s fixed and dependable,”said Haedar.
Haedar also noted the problem with determining religious dates only at the last minute, which often causes confusion.
“We should not have to wait until the day before to confirm the start of Ramadan, Eid, or the Hijri New Year. That kind of last-minute decision-making creates uncertainty and speculation,” said Haeadar.
