Integration of Ethnoscience and Physical Science Perspectives in Determining the Hijri Calendar in Kudus
(1) Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia; Universitas Muria Kudus, Indonesia
(2) Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia
(3) Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia
Abstract
This study explores the integration of ethnoscience and physics perspectives in determining the Hijri calendar in Kudus City, Central Java. Using a qualitative descriptive approach through observation, interviews, and document analysis, this research reveals that the Kudus community harmonizes scientific reasoning (hisab) with empirical and religious practices (rukyat) based on local wisdom. The findings show that the hisab imkan rukyah haqiqi tahqiqi method applied in the Menara Kudus Almanac represents an advanced traditional model that aligns with modern astronomical calculations involving the Moon's synodic cycle, celestial geometry, and atmospheric refraction. Scientifically, this study contributes to understanding how local ethnoscience can complement and contextualize formal knowledge of physics and astronomy. Practically, it provides insights for developing culture-based science education, particularly in astronomy learning, and offers empirical references for policy formulation on Hijri calendar standardization. However, the study is limited to the Kudus context, suggesting the need for comparative research across other Indonesian regions and further validation using digital simulation or optical instrumentation to enrich the integration between local wisdom and scientific astronomy.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Admizal, I., Rofingah, U., & Almy, B. A. (2023). Telaah Ayat-Ayat tentang Orbit Matahari dan Bulan. Prosiding Fakultas Ushulludin Adab dan Dakwah, 1(1), 88–99.
Afifi, A. A., & Abbas, A. F. (2022). Moderate Way Implementing Rukyah and Hisab to Determine a New Moon in Ramadan. Al-Imam: Journal on Islamic Studies, Civilization and Learning Societies, 3, 11–18.
Aikenhead, G. S., & Ogawa, M. (2007). Indigenous Knowledge and Science Revisited. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2(3), 539–620.
Ar-Rofif, M. A. A. (2022). Optimalisasi Instrumen Optik dan Pengaruhnya Indonesia pada Kalibrasi Proses “Setting Circle” Teleskop Skywatcher 90/910 EQ2 untuk Keperluan Rukyat Hilal [Undergraduate thesis, UIN Walisongo Semarang].
Budiwati, A. (2019). Formulasi Kalender Hijriah dalam Pendekatan Historis-Astronomis [Doctoral dissertation, UIN Walisongo Semarang].
Butar-butar, M. A. (2021). Islamic Astronomy and Scientific Cosmology. Jurnal Falak Indonesia, 4(2), 99–112.
Faisal, Y. (2025). Analysis of Determining the Beginning of the Lunar Month in Indonesia: A Comparative Study of the Rukyah and Hisab Methods. Al-Wadh'iyyah: Journal of Sharia Law and Legal Studies, 1(2), 60–68.
Faid, S., Saiful, M., Mohd, A., Hafiz, M., Saadon, M., Wahid, K., Norman, P., Johor, B. P., & Ehsan, S. D. (2025). Methods in Determining New Hijri Month: A Thematic Review From Islamic Jurisprudence Perspective. 13(1), 75–99.
Fauzi, A. (2019). Almanak Menara Kudus: Study of ?is?b Results in 1990 Until 2019. Al-Ahkam, 29(1), 109–134.
Hamdani, F. F. R. S., & Rojak, E. A. (2017). Pembelajaran Kalender Islam Tematik untuk Anak Sekolah Dasar. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam Indonesia, 2(1), 16–20.
Ilhami, M. F. (2023). Penafsiran Kiai Sya’roni Ahmadi tentang Ayat-Ayat Kekuasaan (Studi atas Pengajian Tafsir di Masjid Menara Kudus) [Doctoral dissertation, UIN Raden Mas Said Surakarta].
Imron, A., Hadi, S., Anwar, S., & Danarto, A. (2015). Dari ‘Muhlal’ hingga ‘Muhrabi’ (Tipologi Pemikiran Hadits Hisab-Rukyat di Kalangan Muhammadiyah). Al-Ihkam: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial, 10(2), 337–358.
Ismail, I. A., Mawardi, Kurniawati, D., Arif, K., & Nofrialdi, R. (2024). Dari Warisan Leluhur ke Laboratorium Modern : Etnosains Mewarnai Pembelajaran IPA. LPPM AAI Padang.
Janah, M., Widodo, W., & Astuti, E. Y. (2019). Istilah-Istilah dalam Tradisi Reresik Sendhang di Desa Wonosoco Kecamatan Undaan Kabupaten Kudus (Suatu Kajian Etnolinguistik). Sutasoma: Jurnal Sastra Jawa, 7(2), 1–7.
Khakzad, D. (2022). Iranian Calendric Modernity. [Doctoral Thesis, University of Toronto Canada].
Khusurur, M. (2020). Perpaduan Hisab dan Rukyat sebagai Metode Penentuan Awal Bulan Hijriyah. Jurnal Al-Wasith: Jurnal Studi Hukum Islam, 5(2), 150–161.
Koto, I., Hati, L. P., Manurung, A. S., & Siregar, A. S. (2024). Islamic Holy Days: The Contention of Rukyatul Hillal and Hisab Hakiki Wujudul Hilal Disputes for Muslims in Indonesia. Pharos Journal of Theology, 105(2), 1–14.
Majid, I. (2024). Integration of ?is?b and Rukyat in Determining the Beginning of the Lunar Month: Unity of Science Perspective. Pesantren Studies Annual Symposium on Pesantren Studies (Ansops), 3, 181–190.
Marwadi. (2021). Renewing the Thoughts of the Hijri Calendar of Muhammadiyah , Nahdlatul Ulama and Persatuan Islam and Its Implications for Realization of National Hijri Calendar. Al-Man?hij: Jurnal Kajian Hukum Islam, 15(1), 19–36.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis Second Edition. SAGE Publication.
Mujab, S. (2020). Hisab Awal Bulan Hijriyah dalam Kitab “Al-Khulashoh Al-Wafiyah”. Yudisia: Jurnal Pemikiran Hukum dan Hukum Islam, 11(2), 237–250.
Mujab, S. (2010). Konsep Penentuan Awal Bulan Hijriyah menurut KH. Turaichan Adjhuri [Thesis, UIN Walisongo Semarang].
Nasir, A. L. A. M., Umar, R., Yussof, W. N. J. W., Ahmad, N., Zulkeflee, A. N., Sabri, N. H., Chik, W. M. Y. W., Mahiddin, N. A., Bely, A. H., & Izdihar, A. I. S. (2025). New Crescent Moon Detection Using Circular Hough Transform (CHT). Astronomy and Computing, 51, 100902.
Ni'am, M. I. (2024). Correlation Between Hilal Age and Altitude at the Beginning of the Lunar Month (A Critique of the Calculation System in Fath ar-Rauf al-Mannan). Astroislamica: Journal of Islamic Astronomy, 3(2), 136–155.
Putri, H. T. (2019). Hisab Urfi Syekh Abbas Kutakarang: Kajian Etnoastronomi dalam Penentuan Awal Bulan Hijriah. Media Syari'ah: Wahana Kajian Hukum Islam dan Pranata Sosial, 21(1), 52–72.
Qomarani, L. N. (2019). Almanak Menara Kudus: Studi Pemikiran KH. Turaichan Adjhuri dalam Ilmu Falak di Indonesia [Bachelor's thesis, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta].
Saputra, S. D. (2018). Kewenangan Pemerintah dalam Penetapan Awal Bulan Kamariah di Indonesia [Bachelor's thesis, UIN Raden Intan Lampung].
Suwandi, S. Y. P. A., Sukarmin, Cahyaningrum, S. E., Satriawan, M., & Soraya, F. (2025). Ethnoscience Approach to Improve Science Literacy on Chemical Bonding: A Thematic Synthesis. Jurnal Pendidikan MIPA, 26(3), 1909–1931.
Syarif, M. R. (2017). Konsolidasi Metodologis Kalender Islam Internasional: Meneladani Intelektual Umar Bin Khattab dan Julius Caesar. Jurnal Bimas Islam, 10(3), 517–538.
Uzlifah, E. (2022). Kalender Hijriah Kriteria 29 dalam Tinjauan Fikih. Elfalaky: Jurnal Ilmu Falak, 6(2), 298–314.
Wahidi, A., Yasin, N., Kadir, A., Rouf, A., & Haq, S. (2021). Implementation of the Mabims Criteria in Determining the Beginning of Islamic Month in Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. In International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Social Science (ICONETOS 2020) (pp. 96–108). Atlantis Press.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
View My Stats