Ethics of Buddhism and Islam - Essay Example

Several promising signs from space were noticed after his birth; moreover, a wise man predicted that he would be triumphant. He was born in a noble family, but was not satisfied with the life he lived. He realized that not everyone lived a lavish life; therefore, he sought ways to stop human suffering. Muhammad’s birth took place in Mecca. He claimed that an angel had visited him on return from one of his trips from Mount Hira, which is where he went to meditate in private. The angel told him to spread the word of God.

He was reluctant at first, but he accepted the task after the angel made occasional visits to urge Muhammad to do God’s will. His wife Khadija also encouraged him to do God’s will. Muhammad claimed he was a prophet, and that his task was to pass the message given to him by God. Muhammad urged people to do what Allah wanted them to do. Buddha, in the early days, clarified to the people that he was neither God nor a savior. He claimed that he was a man, with no superhuman powers; he was a pathfinder.

He taught people how to live in a spiritual manner, and that everything that exists goes through pain and distress. He enlightened them on the path to freedom, which was the only way of getting out of the misery brought by life and death. Individuals have to know the factors that link human actions, the causes and outcomes of the actions. He was against believing in a god because he thought the act encouraged egoism, and led to suffering. On the contrary, the Islamic religion emphasizes that humans should do what God wants them to do because he is their guide and judge.

Islam emphasizes on submission to the creator; moreover, Muslims had to practice peace and unity. Muhammad Urged Muslims to love and treat each other as brothers because Islam is about brotherhood; hence, it is wrong to take another Muslims possession without permission (Fasching, DeChant and Lantigua, 2011). The lives of Buddha and Muhammad inspired their followers. Both of them lived the lives they expected from their followers. Both religions believe in eternal life. Muslims believe that humans do not sin because it is their nature; they do so because they are weak.

On the contrary, everyone is answerable for their actions because they are expected to do God’s will. Those who live as expected will have eternal life in paradise and those who live sinful lives will suffer in hell. Muslims are expected to fear God, and should always repent when they sin because they will be forgiven. Islamic religion claims that God is merciful to people with honest repentance. Buddhists believe that exemplary deeds are awarded excellent results while awful deeds lead to terrible results.

Buddhist religion encourages its people to be wise in their actions so that they can free themselves from bondage. Buddhists do not believe that one can live eternally without change; in addition, they do not support materialism. They believe that life is about change; individual changes in terms of behavior and people suffer because of the urge to live longer. Muslims believe that eternal life is only for those who do the will of Allah, while Buddhists believe that everlasting life is determined by the actions of an individual in their present life.

Islamic religion emphasizes that humans are the most prestigious creatures in the universe. The religion also claims that some animals were created for the good of the human