Happiness in Ibn al-Arabi’s School of Thought and Theravada Buddhism: A Comparative Study

"Happiness" serves as the ultimate aspiration across various religions. In this comparative study, we delve into the concept of happiness in Ibn al-Arabi’s school of thought and Theravada Buddhism. The purpose of this research is to create a dialogue between Buddhism and Islam by comparing how they define “happiness” and how they help the discussion on spirituality. This research thoroughly reviewed relevant scholarly works, primary texts, and secondary sources related to happiness in both traditions. Then, it analyzes how each tradition addresses happiness, ethical conduct, and the path to well-being. Describing the moral system of Ibn al-Arabi and Theravada Buddhism, the research analyzed the concept of happiness and the ways to achieve it on the basis of both schools. This review indicated that Buddha emphasizes freeing one’s self from greed, hatred, and ignorance. Ibn al-Arabi, however, argues that self-purification is not the ultimate goal, but it is the prelude to getting close to Allah and reaching the state of baqa(self-subsistence).

Keywords:

سعادت , ابن العربی , بودیسم تراوادا , فنا (نابودی) , نیروانا