Buddha and Prophet Muhammad on Managing Religious Diversity: A Comparative Study in Interfaith Relation and Peacebuilding

This study explores the approaches of Buddha and Prophet Muhammad in managing religious diversity, focusing on their engagement with other faith communities in their respective historical and social contexts. Both navigated directed multireligious societies and emphasised mutual respect, compassion, and justice principles. By examining their teachings and interactions, this research highlights the foundations they laid for interfaith understanding and peaceful engagement. The study particularly underscores the relevance of these insights in contemporary Buddhist-Muslim relations, advocating for trust-based engagements that substitute understanding and collaboration. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the rights of others and fostering inclusive societies, ensuring peaceful coexistence between Buddhists and Muslims where they live as equal citizens. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, utilizing textual analysis of primary and secondary sources, including classical and contemporary scholarship. The finding enriches interfaith relations and peacebuilding, demonstrating how their models of interaction provide valuable lessons for today’s pluralistic societies.