Wesak Day is a Buddhist festival that commemorates three important events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and death. It is celebrated on the full moon of the lunar month of May and involves gatherings at temples for prayer, offerings, and listening to teachings. While Muslims cannot participate in the religious ceremonies, they are permitted to attend public celebrations if they do not involve practices contrary to Islam like idol worship. The Islamic view is that Muslims should not imitate the festivals and rituals of other religions.

1. WESAK DAY
NOR AZZERA NATASHA BINTI ZULKIFLEE
SITI UMMIRUL SYAMIRAH BT ABD WAHID
NUR SYAHIRAH BT MUSTAFFA
SAIDATUN FADZILAH BT DRAMAN
NORFADILATUL NADIAH BT MOHD FADZIL

2. What is wesak day
When it is celebrated
Why it is celebrated
How it is celebrated
Islamic view on wesak day celebration

3. What is Wesak Day???
• known as
Vesak
Visakah Puja (Buddha‘s Birthday Celebrations)
Buddha Purnima
• There are other numerous names for Wesak day:
Malaysia: Hari Wesak
Thailand: Visakha Bucha
Burmese: Kason Full Moon Day
Indonesian : Waisak
Japanese: Hanamatsuri
• holy day celebrated by the entire Buddhist throughout the
world
• This festival is celebrated for some purposes

4. WHY IT IS CELEBRATED ??
To commemorate three significant events:
1) Buddha’s birth
2) Enlightenment (nirvana)
3)Death (parinirvana)

5. Buddha’s Birth
• Siddharta Buddha’s was born in the ancient
kingdom of Sakyas(modern Nepal)
• He was born in Lumbini in 623 BC.

6. Enlightenment
•
•
•
•
Buddha sat down under the Bodi tree
Ignore temptation from demon
Solved the riddle of human suffering
Attained enlightenment at the age of 35

7. Death
• Buddha announce he would soon reach
Paranirvana
• He died at the age of 80
• In Kusinara in the year 543 BC.

8. When The Wesak day
is celebrated ?

9. • The exact date of Vesākha varies according to
•
•
•
•
the various lunar calendars
Theravada countries (the Buddhist calendar)
falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in
the 5th or 6th lunar month.
Vesākha Day in China and Korea is on the
eighth of the fourth month in the Chinese lunar
calendar
The date varies from year to year in the
Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in
April or May
Wesak Day in Malaysia is a national public
holiday.

11. The Buddhist devotees will begin the celebrations usually even before
dawn where they will gather at the temples.
Then, hoist the Buddhist flag and sing hymns in praise of the holy triple
gem namely; The Buddha, The Dharma (his teachings) and The Sangha (his
disciples).
Devotees may bring simple offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks
to lay at the feet of their teacher.
They are encouraged to partake of vegetarian food for the day.
Also birds, insects and animals are released by the thousands in what is
known as a 'symbolic act of liberation‘.
Some devout Buddhists will wear a simple white dress and spend the whole
day in temples with renewed determination to observe the eight Precepts.

12. Some temples also display a small image of the baby Buddha in front of
the altar in a small basin filled with water and decorated with
flowers, allowing devotees to pour water over the statue
Devotees are expected to listen to talks given by monks.
Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and kind to various charitable
homes throughout the country.
This is how Buddhists are expected to celebrate Wesak: to use the
opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to
develop their minds, to practice loving-kindness and to bring peace and
harmony to humanity.

13. ISLAMIC VIEW
ON WESAK
DAY

14. • Based on Islamic view, we as the Muslims are
strongly prohibited to attend the Wesak Day
celebration.
• According to Islamic scholars, joining nonbelievers in their festivals and participating in
those is an act of imitation. According to a
Prophetic Tradition recorded in Sunan Abi
Dawood,
• “Whoever imitates people (nation) is one of
them.”

15. • Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah
have mercy on him) said:
• “It is not permissible for Muslims to imitate
them (non-Muslim) in any way that is unique
to their festivals, whether it is
food, clothes, bathing, lighting fires or
refraining from usual work or worship, and so
on. And it is not permissible to give a feast or
to exchange gifts or to sell things that help
them to celebrate their festivals or to let
children and others play the games that are
played on their festivals, or to adorn oneself or
put up decorations.”

16. • However, the ruler of a country could attend the
ceremony but they are prohibited to do the
ceremony proceeding.
• On the 68th muzakarah of the National Fatwa
Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs on April
12, 2005, they have discussed the Guidelines for
Muslims celebrating Religious Festivals of NonMuslims like Wesak Day. Muslims can attend the
ceremony if it is:

17. 1. Not accompanied by ceremonies that
against the Islamic faith (aqidah).

18. 2. Not accompanied by action contrary to
Islamic faith.
karma
nirvana
samsara

19. 3. Not accompanied by immoral culture.
hehehe

20. 4. Not accompanied with something that affect
sensitivity of Muslims.
!@#$%^*&