THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC ASTRONOMY IN INDONESIA

This paper discusses the history and development of Islamic astronomy in Indonesia. During the Dutch colonization in Indonesia there was a shift from Hijri to Gregorian (Miladiyah) calendar as the official national calendar. After the independent day of Indonesia, the government of Indonesia has gradually made amendments on the application of Islamic calendar. Ministry of Religious Affairs had been founded on January 3, 1946, where the ministry had an authority to arrange holidays that included the beginning of Ramadhan, Syawal and Zulhijjah. In the early 20th century, Islamic astronomy began to flourish in this country along with the return of the young scholars to Indonesia. The development of Islamic astronomy in Indonesia involves the Islamic calendar, prayers time, and the determination of the Qibla