Two Paths, One Quest: Inner Peace in Buddhism and Islam

For Buddhists, the main problem is suffering (dukkha). Suffering includes obvious pain, but also everyday stress, sadness, and the feeling that life is never quite satisfying. The Buddha taught that the root of all this suffering is craving or grasping (tanhā), the endless wanting for things to be different from what they are.

The key to Buddhist peace is understanding three truths about life:

1. Impermanence (anicca): Everything changes.
2. Suffering (dukkha): Clinging to changing things causes pain.
3. No-Self (anatta): There is no permanent, unchanging "me" inside.

According to Buddhist thought, human suffering (dukkha) arises primarily from the mistaken belief in a permanent and independent self (attā). Human beings tend to assume that this self must be protected, satisfied, and continually affirmed. As a result, they pursue impermanent objects such as wealth, social recognition, power, and emotional attachments, believing these to be sources of lasting happiness. However, because such phenomena are inherently temporary (anicca), their attainment cannot provide enduring satisfaction. When these desired objects are not obtained, or when they inevitably decay or disappear, suffering arises. This insight is clearly articulated in Dhammapada, 216:

Craving begets sorrow, craving begets fear. For him who is free from craving, there is no sorrow; how can there be fear for him? 

Buddhist teachings further emphasize that attachment to the notion of self intensifies suffering by reinforcing desire and aversion. Dhammapada, 334 states: 

The craving of the person addicted to careless living grows like a creeper. He jumps from life to life like a fruit-loving monkey in the forest. 

This metaphor illustrates the restless nature of human craving and its role in perpetuating dissatisfaction and repeated suffering. Liberation from this cycle requires insight into the non-self (anattā) nature of existence and the disciplined cultivation of wisdom and mindfulness.

True peace in Buddhism is identified as Nibbāna (or Nirvāṇa), a state characterized by the cessation of craving, ignorance, and attachment to selfhood. It is not achieved through the accumulation of external possessions or social status, but through profound inner transformation. As expressed in Dhammapada, 251:

There is no fire like passion, there is no grip like ill will, there is no net like ignorance, there is no river like craving. 

When human beings penetrate the illusory nature of the separate self and abandon craving, the conditions that give rise to suffering cease, allowing the realization of lasting inner peace.

What Is This Peace Like?

Inner peace in Buddhism is described as the highest form of happiness and the coolest, most profound peace. It is not an emotional excitement or temporary comfort, but a deep inner stillness that arises when craving and attachment come to an end. Udāna, 8.1 describes:

This peace in paradoxical language, stating that it is a state “where there is no earth, no water… no coming, no going… just this is the end of suffering.”

The above text emphasizes the nature of inner peace and its transcendence beyond ordinary experience. This peace is reflected clearly in human conduct. As stated in Dhammapada, 96:

A person who has realized this state is calm in their mind, calm in their speech, and calm in their actions.

Thus, inner peace is not only an inner realization but also a visible ethical and behavioral transformation marked by serenity, restraint, and harmony.

How to Find It?

Buddhism teaches to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. This is not a single action, but a training for your whole life. It has three parts:

1. Wisdom (pañña): Understanding the true nature of life (impermanence, no-self).
2. Ethical Conduct (sīla): Living kindly, honestly, and harmlessly. A good life creates a calm mind.
3. Mental Discipline (samādhi): Training the mind through meditation. Meditation helps you watch your thoughts without getting caught in them. It lets you calm down and see clearly. Practices like loving-kindness meditation fill the heart with care for all beings, which pushes out anger and fear.

In short, the Buddhist path is like cleaning a dirty window. Buddhism teaches to use ethics and meditation to calm the mind (clean the glass), so you can clearly see the truth of no-self. Seeing this truth ends craving and brings lasting peace.

In Islam, inner peace is all about the relationship between a person and God (Allah). The feeling of peace is a gift from God that comes when the human heart finds its true home. The Quran, 13:28 mentions it directly: 

Hearts find peace in the remembrance of God.

So, while Buddhism looks inner peace inward to understand the self, Islam looks upward to connect with the Creator. The foundation for this peace is tawhid, the belief in the absolute Oneness of God. Humans are created by God, and the hearts are naturally made to remember and worship Him. When a person lives according to this nature, he feels at peace. When he forgets God and chases only the world, his heart becomes restless, anxious, and hard.

What Is This Peace Like?

Islamic peace is called sakinah (divine tranquility) or tuma'ninah (serenity). It is a feeling of safety, contentment, and calm that God places in a believer's heart. The highest level is when the soul becomes truly tranquil. At death, God will say to this peaceful soul, as described in the Quran, 89:27-30:

O peaceful soul! Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing to Him. Enter My Paradise. 

The ultimate peace is being welcomed by a satisfied God.

How to Find It?

The path to peace in Islam is built on submission (the meaning of the word "Islam").

1. The Five Pillars: Practices like daily prayer (Salah), fasting (Sawm), and charity structure a Muslim's life around God. Prayer, done five times a day, is a direct break from worldly stress to remember God.
2. Remembrance of God (dhikr): This is the most important practice for inner peace. It means constantly remembering God through prayers, reciting the Quran, and saying phrases that praise Him. Through remembering God heart, feel peace and calm. It is narrated in the Hadith Book, Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 34777: 

Remembering God is the best of deeds.

3. Trust in God (tawakkul): This means relying completely on God's plan. It removes anxiety about the future. The Hadith Book, Abu Dawud, mentions:

Whoever says (upon leaving his house): 'Bismillah, tawakkaltu 'alallah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah [I begin with the Name of God; I trust in God; there is no altering of conditions but by the Power of God],' it will be said to him: 'You are guided, defended and protected.' The devil will go far away from him.

4. Good Character: Traits like modesty, honesty, and patience also create a peaceful inner state. The Prophet linked modesty directly to "iman (Faith)" (Sahih al-Bukhari).

So, the Islamic path is like a heart returning to its source. Through prayer, constant remembrance, and trust, a Muslim cleanses their heart of worldly noise to make room for the calming presence of God.

Shared Diagnosis of Inner Disturbance

Both Buddhism and Islam begin with a similar understanding of the human problem: inner unrest arises from excessive attachment to worldly desires. Buddhism identifies craving (taṇhā) as the root of suffering, while Islam warns that unchecked desire for wealth, status, and pleasure (hawa) distracts the heart from remembrance of God. In both traditions, the ordinary human condition, driven by wanting, chasing, and dissatisfaction, is seen as fundamentally unstable and a barrier to inner peace.

Discipline and Practice as the Path to Peace

Neither Buddhism nor Islam views inner peace as a passive or automatic state. Both emphasize disciplined practice that trains behavior and the inner life. Buddhism prescribes a structured path of ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom (sīla, samādhi, pañña), while Islam requires regular acts of worship (salah), moral discipline (akhlaq), and remembrance (dhikr). Repetition is central in both traditions: meditation in Buddhism and prayer and remembrance in Islam cultivate patience, compassion, and focused attention, gradually calming the restless mind.

Shared Outcomes, Different Foundations

In both traditions, inner peace is described as freedom from greed, hatred, and mental distraction. A peaceful person is no longer controlled by anger or endless desire. However, the foundations of this peace differ. Buddhism teaches that peace emerges through insight into the impermanent and selfless nature of reality, achieved through human effort and wisdom. Islam teaches that peace (sakinah) ultimately comes from God as a divine gift, granted through faith, obedience, and submission to His will.

Fundamental Differences in Goal and Understanding of the Self

The biggest difference lies in the final goal and the understanding of the self. Buddhism teaches that there is no permanent self, and ultimate peace (Nibbana) is attained when craving and the illusion of self are extinguished, ending the cycle of rebirth. Islam, by contrast, affirms the existence of an eternal soul whose peace is found in fulfilling its purpose, to worship and return to God, and whose final destiny is closeness to the Creator in Paradise. Thus, a Buddhist seeks peace like blowing out a candle flame, ending the fire of desire, while a Muslim seeks peace like a river flowing into the ocean, the soul finding rest in its infinite source, attaining Paradise (jannah). 

Buddhism and Islam provide complete guides for someone searching for inner peace. Both require a person to live ethically, train their mind, and turn away from simple worldly pleasures. Their practices of meditation and prayer are powerful tools for calming the inner chaos we all feel.

However, they start from opposite points and end at opposite destinations. Buddhism begins with the human mind and leads to a peace beyond any personal identity. Islam begins with a Creator God and leads to a peace found in a perfect relationship with Him and attaining Paradise (jannah). One finds ultimate quiet by dissolving the mind; the other finds it by surrendering to God. Understanding both shows us the wide variety of human spirituality. It proves that the deepest peace can be found on very different roads, depending on one's view of life's biggest questions.