Islam vs Buddhism

When it comes to some of the major religions in the world, a lot of people are skeptical, or even fearful of something that they do not know a lot about. Here, we will try to do away with some of the most common misconceptions regarding the two most common religions in the world: Islam and Buddhism.

First, let’s take a look at what Islam, as a religion, is all about. It’s based on the religious book Qur’an, and the literal meaning of the name is ’submission to God’. A Muslim, therefore, is someone who submits himself to God.

Based on the teachings of Islam as a religion, there are five duties which Muslims must practice within the community – and this is what Islamic Law revolves around. Islam is a dominant religion in the Middle East, some parts of Asia, and North Africa. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, with about 13% of the population practicing the Islam religion. Arab countries and those in the Indian sub-continent also have a high percentage of Muslims.

What about Buddhism? Where Islam is based on the words of Allah, Buddhism is based on the words of the Buddha, or Siddharta Gautama. More than being a religion, Buddhism is a philosophy which encompasses a variety of traditions, practices and beliefs. Where Muslims have the Five Pillars of Islam, Buddhists believe in the two major branches of Buddhism, which include the Theravada, or ‘The School of the Elders’, and Mahayana, which is ‘The Great Vehicle’. Buddhism is a widely-practiced religion in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka.

Next, let’s take a look at the distinct differences between the two religions. Buddhism only introduced the concept of God in the later doctrines, while Muslims believe in a God known as Allah. Buddhists also believe that the actions of a person are dependent on his salvation – while Islam does not believe in salvation.

Buddhism does not focus too much on good and evil – while Islam considers Allah to be the creator of the universe, as well as being the source of all that is good and evil. Finally, karma is something that Buddhists believe in when you talk about eternal life – while Islam’s view on it is that eternal life depends on the works of a person in his or her present life while following the Islamic path.

Summary:

1. Islam is focused on the Five Pillars of Islam, while Buddhism has two major branches which include the Theravada and Mahayana.

2. Islam is a religion which considers Allah to be God, while Buddhism only introduced the concept of God in their later doctrines.

3. Islam is a religion dominant in the Middle East and some parts of Asia, while Buddhism is a dominant religion in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.