Perihal penentuan awal bulan hijriyah di Indonesia, masih menjadi problem besar yang belum terselesaikan hingga kini. Sejak berdirnya Kemenag pada 3 Januari 1946 M (masa Orde Lama), Kemenag sudah berusaha mempertemukan para ahli hisab dan rukyah guna mempersatukan keduanya. Namun hal tersebut belum menemukan hasil. Begitu juga, pada masa Orde Baru (1966 – 1998) yang dipimpin oleh Presiden Soeharto yang dikenal pemerintahan otoriter. Di era reformasi pun demikian. Menariknya, di tengah euphoria kebebasan berpendapat dan ekspresi era reformasi, justru KH. Maimoen Zubair, ulama kharismatik asal Sarang menghendaki adanya penyatuan itu. Sepanjang penelusuran peneliti, pemikiran KH. Maimoen ini adalah pemikiran pertama pasca orde baru tumbang, -atau lebih dari itu (pasca Kemerdekaan)- yang terkodifikasikan yang membahas tentang problematika penetapan awal Ramadan dan Syawal secara spesifik dan komprehensif, serta menyerukan untuk mempersatukannya. Dari situ, penelitian lapangan bersifat kualitatif ini mencoba menelusuri pemikiran tersebut, khususnya pada relevansi dan implementasinya, serta mengapa pemikiran tersebut belum bisa membumi di Indonesia. Hasil penelitian ini: pertama, pemikiran KH. Maimoen Zubair tentang penetapan Awal Ramadan dan Syawal terbangun atas dasar kitab-kitab mu’tabarah yang akhirnya semua bermuara kepada upaya penyatuan umat Islam terkait penetapan awal Ramadan dan Syawal di Indonesia dengan bertumpu kepada keputusan pemerintah. Kedua, pemikiran tersebut relevan dengan konteks kekinian karena disamping mendukung tujuan Kemenag, juga cocok dengan negera-negara yang sistem kalendernya mapan yang nyatanya sangat dipengaruhi oleh peran pemerintah. Ketiga, implementasi pemikiran KH. Maimoen Zubair belum bisa membumi di Indonesia, disebabkan beberapa faktor, yaitu belum maksimalnya dukungan pemerintah, masih minimnya publikasi, dan juga masih rendahnya pemahaman masyarakat terkait pemikiran KH. Maimoen Zubair itu sendiri.

ABSTRACT:

Regarding the determination of the beginning of the Islamic month in Indonesia, it is still a big problem that has not been resolved until now. Since the founding of the Ministry of Religion on January 3, 1946 AD (the Old Order period), the Ministry of Religion has tried to bring together the experts of hisab and rukyah to unite the two. But this has not found results. Likewise, during the New Order (1966 - 1998) led by President Soeharto, known as an authoritarian government. In the reform era too. Interestingly, in the midst of euphoria of freedom of opinion and expression of the reform era, precisely KH. Maimoen Zubair, the charismatic scholar from Sarang wants the unification. Throughout the research of researcher, thought of KH. Maimoen is the first thought after the fall of the new order, or more than that (post-Independence) - which is codified that discusses the specific and comprehensive issue of the early determination of Ramadan and Shawwal, and calls for a unification. From there, this qualitative fieldwork tries to trace these thoughts, specifically on their relevance and implementation, and why they have not been grounded in Indonesia. The results of this study: first, thought of KH. Maimoen Zubair on the beginning of Ramadan and Syawal was founded on the basis of the Islamic books which eventually led to the unification of Muslims regarding the early setting of Ramadan and Syawal in Indonesia by focusing on government decisions. Secondly, this thinking is relevant to the current context because besides supporting the objectives of the Ministry of Religion and compatible with countries whose established calendar systems are in fact heavily influenced by the role of government too. Third, the implementation of thought KH. Maimoen Zubair cannot be grounded in Indonesia, due to several factors, namely the lack of maximum government support, the lack of publications, and the low understanding of the community regarding KH. Maimoen Zubair itself.