A Path of Compassion and Peace: An Invitation to Islam for Buddhist Friends

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Introduction
In the spirit of friendship and mutual respect, we extend a warm invitation to our Buddhist friends to explore the teachings of Islam. Buddhism and Islam may differ in theology – for instance, Islam centers on faith in one personal God, whereas classical Buddhism does not affirm a creator deity thequran.love – yet both traditions share a deep commitment to compassion, inner peace, and ethical living. His Holiness the Dalai Lama once noted that when Muslims worship a compassionate and merciful God, they are “offering complete submission to the ideal of universal compassion,” paralleling the Buddha’s instruction to live in a compassionate, ethical way thequran.love. Building on this common ground, we will look at how core Islamic teachings, as expressed in the Quran, resonate with key Buddhist spiritual ideals like compassion, mindfulness, non-attachment to material things, the quest for inner peace, and the journey toward enlightenment. Throughout, the tone is one of welcome and dialogue, acknowledging the wisdom of the Buddhist path while introducing the Quran’s message as a complementary source of insight and guidance. We invite you to see Islam not as a rival viewpoint, but as another path illuminated by the light of compassion and truth.

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