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There are hardly similarities between the Islam and Buddhist perceptions on ‘the soul’. The differences are more distinct. Nonetheless, close examination reveals a small glimpse of common ground.
The Soul according to Islam: Muslim philosophers have always considered the question of the ‘soul’ in relation to its existence, nature, rationality, objective, and eternity. Ibn Sina, in his piece, The Soul, asserts that the existence and manifestation of the souls can be found in the fact that there is a sense of will- an intangible entity- in human action, i.e. human bodies act in ways that are not natural to them. Sifa, therefore, attributes this aspect to an entity other than the physical body.
This principle then is known as the ‘soul’. And this soul resides in all creations of Allah, including animals and plants. Notably, Sifa presents the aspect of the rational soul, which he argues does not need an extrinsic justification for its existence. It is simply aware of its existence as independent of the body, i.e. it is not concerned with the material world.
But it is quite challenging to understand the Muslim understanding of the nature of the soul. As already implied, Islam views the soul in different ways: as the vegetative part of a plant, the sensitive part of an animal, the rationale part of it, and ultimately as a combination of the three parts. The first two make up the soul’s non-rationale parts. Even more confusing is the fact that Islam mostly uses the soul to mean the ultimate combination of all parts. Therefore, when a Muslim uses the term ‘soul’- if not for the context of use- it is hard to decide whether it refers to the broader aspect, i.e. plant or animal, or merely a part of the whole plant or animal.
But in the end, Islam asserts that the soul is perfect as, through its tools of manifestations (i.e. plants and animals), it is made of both matter and form. This ‘perfection’ is what then makes up the soul’s rationale, i.e. it can be grasped, both theoretically and practically, and relatively understood. It is from this that Islam concludes that the soul is a unity of all its parts in the pursuit of one common goal, i.e. happiness. And since this pursuit is ever continual, the soul is therefore eternal.
‘The Soul’ in Buddhism: One of the most distinct concepts of Buddhism is the assertion that there is no soul. And since the soul does not exist, it cannot manifest itself. This stance was a reaction to a prevailing Indian philosophy on ‘eternalism’, i.e. that all things have eternal and never-changing essences, that are also independent of any interference. The basis of this rebellion was the Buddhist argument it is the belief in the soul, an intangible entity that provides a basis for man’s imprisonment in his ignorance and suffering, i.e. samsara. To abandon this belief is to open the way for nirvana, i.e. enlightenment and liberation.
However, the Buddhist no-soul theory is somewhat contradictory in itself. For instance, with a kind-of turn round, Buddhists claim that the soul cannot be independent of context. In other words, the existence of the soul can only be defined in relation to other things, which are also interdependent. Indeed, this is a notable deviation from the rather explicit and conclusive statement the soul does not exist.
Bu many Buddhists would perhaps justify this stance saying that it is no deviation, i.e. that since the soul is not ‘independent of other things it, therefore, does not exist. However, this stance brings the rather thin line that unites Buddhist and Islam perception on the souls, i.e. Buddhists argue that the soul ‘is only’ expressed in other things (the physical world). Islam argues that the soul is both independently existent as much as it is manifested in other things. Ultimately, Buddhism and Islam seem to believe in the soul, except for whether it is a purely independent entity or not.
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