Short answer
No. Calm and attention are good, but a technique for calm cannot tell you why you exist or what follows death. A large 2014 review of mindfulness programs found small to moderate relief from anxiety, depression and pain. In the Pali texts, the Buddha taught meditation as a path to purify the mind and reach nirvana by one's own effort. Islam asks for a humble, attentive heart in prayer. Its reflection leads somewhere. People who think about creation say, "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this!" (3:191). Meditation without God (﷾) has no one to turn to. In Islam, God (﷾) says, "remember Me; I will remember you" (2:152). The Qur'an says hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah (﷾), who remains when all on earth passes away (13:28; 55:26-27). Islam is a complete way of life, and the Qur'an invites everyone to test it.
Full explanation
What meditation is for in the Pali texts
Buddhism has two great branches. Theravada follows the Pali texts, and Mahayana adds further sutras; Zen is a Mahayana school built around sitting meditation. This page quotes the Pali texts, which Theravada holds to be the Buddha's word. In the Discourse on Mindfulness Meditation (Satipatthana Sutta), the Buddha calls the four kinds of mindfulness meditation "the path". They observe the body, feelings, the mind, and principles such as the four noble truths. Their aim is to purify beings, to end sorrow and pain, and to realise nibbana (nirvana). Nibbana is the end of craving and of rebirth, and the Dhammapada calls it "the ultimate happiness". Near the end of his life, the Buddha told Ananda, his attendant, that the monks are to live as their own island and refuge. The teaching is to be their island and refuge too. He then asked how this is done, and answered with the same mindfulness meditation. The Dhammapada says that wisdom springs from meditation. So in these texts meditation is not a way to relax. It is the road to release, walked by one's own effort.
“Mendicants, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”
“Hunger is the worst illness, conditions are the worst suffering. When one has known this as it is, extinguishment is the ultimate happiness. Health is the ultimate blessing; contentment, the ultimate wealth; trust is the ultimate family; extinguishment, the ultimate happiness.”
“So Ānanda, live as your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge.”
“And how does a mendicant do this? It's when a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.”
“From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends. Knowing these two paths— of progress and decline— you should conduct yourself so that wisdom grows.”
What studies of mindfulness find
Many people today practise mindfulness with no religion at all, often in short courses. A large review in 2014 gathered 47 trials of meditation programs, in adults with a range of health problems, each with a careful comparison group. Mindfulness programs showed moderate evidence of easing anxiety, depression and pain. For anxiety and depression, the benefit was still there three to six months later. The evidence on stress and quality of life was weaker. The review found no evidence that the programs did better than other active treatments, such as exercise. Its authors speak of small to moderate benefits. This page claims nothing more, and nothing less.
A review of 47 randomised trials of meditation programs (3,515 adult participants with a range of health conditions) with active control groups, published up to November 2012. Mindfulness meditation programs showed moderate evidence of improved anxiety and depression (still present at three to six months) and pain, and low evidence of improved stress or distress and mental health-related quality of life. The authors found low evidence of no effect, or insufficient evidence of any effect, on positive mood, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep and weight. They found no evidence that meditation programs were better than active treatments such as drugs, exercise and other behavioural therapies. They conclude that the programs can bring small to moderate reductions in several negative dimensions of psychological stress.
A still and humble heart in Islam
Islam asks for a heart that is present and humble before God (﷾). The Qur'an says the believers who succeed are "those who humble themselves in their prayers" (23:1-2). The Arabic word is khashi'un, and Muslims call this quality khushu'. This site sums it up as calm and attention; those are not the verse's words. The Qur'an also asks for quiet remembrance "in thy (very) soul, with humility and in reverence". It is to be "without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings" (7:205). The Prophet (ﷺ) described the highest level of worship. It is to worship Allah (﷾) as if you see Him, for though you do not see Him, He sees you (Muslim 8). So stillness and attention are part of Muslim worship. But they are turned toward Someone: "devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly" (73:8).
“The believers must (eventually) win through,- Those who humble themselves in their prayers;”
“And do thou (O reader!) Bring thy Lord to remembrance in thy (very) soul, with humility and in reverence, without loudness in words, in the mornings and evenings; and be not thou of those who are unheedful.”
Umar ibn al-Khattab reports that a stranger in very white clothes asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about Islam, faith and ihsan (excellence). Asked about ihsan, the Prophet said it is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for though you do not see Him, He sees you. Afterwards the Prophet told Umar the stranger was Gabriel, who had come to teach them their religion.
“But keep in remembrance the name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.”
Reflection that leads somewhere
The Qur'an asks people to reflect. The heavens, the earth and the change of night and day are "Signs for men of understanding" (3:190). These people remember Allah (﷾) standing, sitting and lying down. They reflect on creation, and the reflection ends in a conclusion: "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this!" (3:191). Their reflection moves from what is made to its Maker, and to their own purpose.
“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,- Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.”
Someone to turn to
The deepest difference is not the method. It is whom the heart turns to, and what it is promised. In Islam, remembrance is addressed to the Lord, and He turns back to the one who remembers. God (﷾) says: "remember Me; I will remember you" (2:152). The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Allah (﷾) says: I am with My servant when he remembers Me. If he comes to Me walking, I go to him running (Bukhari 7405). God (﷾) is near and answers "every suppliant" who calls on Him (2:186). He knows what a person's soul whispers to him, and is nearer to him than his jugular vein (50:16).
“Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) reports that Allah says: I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me; if he comes a hand-span nearer to Me, I come an arm's length nearer to him, and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running. Also in Sahih Muslim 2675.
“When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.”
“It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.”
Who purifies, and for whom
The Pali texts call mindfulness meditation a path "to purify sentient beings" (MN 10). The Dhammapada says each person does this alone: "one is purified by oneself", and "no one can purify another" (Dhammapada 165). The Qur'an also calls people to be pure, but it adds two things. First, purity is a gift from God (﷾): "were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases" (24:21). So the believer asks Him for it. Second, purity is for Him. The Qur'an praises those who spend their wealth "for increase in self-purification", with "only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High" (92:18-20). To seek His Countenance is to seek God (﷾) Himself and His good pleasure. So in Islam purity and worship go together: "But those will prosper who purify themselves, And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer" (87:14-15).
“Mendicants, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”
“For it is by oneself that evil's done, one is corrupted by oneself. It's by oneself that evil's not done, one is purified by oneself. Purity and impurity are personal matters, no one can purify another.”
“O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).”
“Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification, And have in their minds no favour from anyone for which a reward is expected in return, But only the desire to seek for the Countenance of their Lord Most High;”
“But those will prosper who purify themselves, And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer.”
Rest in the One who lasts
The Qur'an says that all on earth will perish, but the Face of your Lord will abide (55:26-27). Remembrance joins the heart to that One, who does not pass. "In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction" (13:28). The Arabic word for that satisfaction, tatma'innu, means to become still and settled. The Qur'an uses the same root for the soul "in (complete) rest and satisfaction". That soul is told to return to its Lord, "well pleased" and "well-pleasing unto Him" (89:27-28). That rest does not end with death.
“All that is on earth will perish: But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.”
“"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
“(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! "Come back thou to thy Lord,- well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! "Yea, enter thou My Heaven!”
The questions calm cannot answer
A quiet mind is good, but it does not tell you why you are here. Nor does it tell you what follows death. If life has a purpose, it comes from whoever made us. A meaning you make for yourself ends with you. So the real question is whether there is a Maker who has spoken. The Qur'an says it is His word, and it answers both. It asks: "Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" (23:115). It says that God (﷾) created death and life to test which of us is best in deed (67:2). A technique can help a person bear the day. It cannot tell him what the day is for.
“"Did ye then think that We had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to Us (for account)?"”
“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving;-”
Islam's answer: a complete way of life
Islam is a deen, a complete way of life: belief, worship and character together. Remembrance runs through all of it. God (﷾) tells Moses to establish prayer for His remembrance (20:14). The Qur'an says prayer restrains from shameful deeds, and that remembering Allah (﷾) is greatest (29:45). Five times a day, the prayer stops work and worry and turns the heart to God (﷾). The site's Salah guide shows how. The Qur'an says God (﷾) has perfected this way and chosen Islam for believers (5:3), and asks them to enter it whole-heartedly (2:208). It does not ask to be taken on trust. It asks to be read with care and tested (4:82; 2:23). Then consider the Messenger it names, Muhammad (ﷺ), the Seal of the Prophets, meaning the last of them (33:40). He was sent to all people (7:158).
“Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: So serve thou Me (only), and establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.”
“Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do.”
“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
“O ye who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heartedly; and follow not the footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy.”
“Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”
“And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true.”
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”
“Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided."”
Five questions and replies
Majjhima Nikaya 10 — Middle Discourses, discourse 10 (Mindfulness Meditation, Satipatthana Sutta), segment 2.1
“Mendicants, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”
Cited for
You treat meditation as relaxation. In the Buddha's teaching it is the path to nibbana, not a way to feel better.
The response
The difference lies in where the path ends. In the Pali texts, meditation aims at the end of sorrow and pain and the realising of nibbana (MN 10). Nibbana is the end of craving, reached by one's own effort, and the texts leave the freed one's end undeclared (MN 72). The Qur'an points the heart to its Lord, who is near and answers (2:186). The soul at rest returns to Him well pleased (89:27-28).
Where it lands — Both take meditation seriously. They differ on whether anyone waits at the end of the path.
Qur'an 13:28 — Surat al-Ra'd (The Thunder), verse 28
“"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.”
Cited for
Dhikr (remembering God by repeating His praise) is just a mantra. Repeating a phrase calms anyone. The calm comes from the method, not from God.
The response
Islam does not offer the calm of dhikr as proof that it is true, since a meditator feels calm too. The difference is not in the method. It is whom the heart turns to: the Lord who remembers in return (2:152) and answers (2:186). Whether that Lord has spoken is tested another way. The Qur'an asks to be read with care and challenged (4:82; 2:23).
Where it lands — Calm proves nothing either way. The test is the Qur'an itself.
Digha Nikaya 16 — Long Discourses, discourse 16 (The Great Discourse on the Final Extinguishment), segment 2.26.1
“So Ānanda, live as your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge.”
Cited for
Meditation needs no god to turn to. That is the point: the Buddha said to be your own island, with the teaching as your refuge.
The response
The Qur'an says plainly where the heart ends. All on earth will perish, but the Face of your Lord will abide (55:26-27). Remembrance joins the heart to that One. He also turns back: "remember Me; I will remember you" (2:152). The soul at rest returns to Him, well pleased (89:27-28). In the Pali texts, the freed one's end is left undeclared: neither "reborn" nor "not reborn" applies (MN 72).
Where it lands — The Pali texts leave undeclared what becomes of the freed one. Remembrance turns the heart to the One who lasts, and the Qur'an says where it ends.
Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (2014)
A review of 47 randomised trials of meditation programs (3,515 adult participants with a range of health conditions) with active control groups, published up to November 2012. Mindfulness meditation programs showed moderate evidence of improved anxiety and depression (still present at three to six months) and pain, and low evidence of improved stress or distress and mental health-related quality of life. The authors found low evidence of no effect, or insufficient evidence of any effect, on positive mood, attention, substance use, eating habits, sleep and weight. They found no evidence that meditation programs were better than active treatments such as drugs, exercise and other behavioural therapies. They conclude that the programs can bring small to moderate reductions in several negative dimensions of psychological stress.
Cited for
Mindfulness is proven to work. Why would I need a religion if a technique already calms me?
The response
The review found moderate evidence of small to moderate benefits, and this page does not dispute them. But calm is not the same as an answer. A technique cannot tell you why you exist, or what follows death. A meaning you make for yourself ends with you; a purpose given by your Maker does not. So the real question is whether there is a Maker who has spoken. The Qur'an says we were not created in jest, and will be brought back to God (23:115). It asks to be tested (4:82).
Where it lands — Meditation can ease the mind. It cannot tell a person what his life is for.
Dhammapada 282 — The Path, verse 282
“From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends. Knowing these two paths— of progress and decline— you should conduct yourself so that wisdom grows.”
Cited for
Wisdom springs from meditation. I trust what I see for myself, not what a book tells me.
The response
Looking inward can show how the mind moves. It cannot show who made the mind, and even the Pali texts leave the freed one's end undeclared (MN 72). The Buddha said that in deep meditation he recalled many past lives (MN 4), but no one can test what another saw within. The Qur'an does not ask for blind trust. It asks the reader to look for contradictions in it (4:82). It challenges anyone in doubt to produce a surah like it (2:23).
Where it lands — Seeing for yourself is welcome in Islam. The Qur'an asks to be examined in the same way.
Perspectives
Buddhist (the Pali texts)
Meditation is not relaxation. It is the path the Buddha taught to purify the mind, end suffering and realise nibbana, the end of craving and of rebirth. The Buddha only shows the way. Each person must walk it, as his own island, with the teaching as his island and refuge. Wisdom springs from meditation.
Theravada, from the Pali canon
In the Pali texts, mindfulness meditation is the path to purify beings, end sorrow and pain, and realise nibbana (MN 10). Calling it a way to relax misses its purpose.
Rebuttal
The Qur'an points the heart to its Lord, the One who abides (55:26-27), and promises it rest in remembering Him (13:28). The path in MN 10 is walked by one's own effort, and meets no Lord.
Meditation needs no god to turn to; that is the point. The Buddha told his followers to be their own island and refuge, with the teaching as their island. The way to do this is mindfulness (DN 16). One is the lord of oneself (Dhammapada 160).
Rebuttal
The Qur'an says plainly where the heart ends: the soul at rest returns to its Lord, well pleased (89:27-28). He abides, and He remembers those who remember Him (55:27; 2:152). The Pali texts leave the freed one's end undeclared (MN 72).
Wisdom springs from meditation (Dhammapada 282). What a person sees for himself needs no revealed book.
Rebuttal
Looking inward can show how the mind moves. It cannot show who made the mind, and even the Pali texts leave the freed one's end undeclared (MN 72). The Buddha said that in deep meditation he recalled many past lives (MN 4). But how could anyone test what one man saw within? The Qur'an says that knowledge of the unseen belongs to Allah (﷾) alone (27:65). Even the Prophet (ﷺ) claimed none of his own: "If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good" (7:188). The Qur'an does not ask for blind belief; it offers a test anyone can take (4:82; 2:23).
One is purified by oneself, and no one can purify another (Dhammapada 165). Purity is a personal matter, so it needs no God.
Rebuttal
The Qur'an agrees that each person answers for himself: "whoever purifies himself does so for the benefit of his own soul" (35:18). But it says the power to be pure is itself a gift: "Allah doth purify whom He pleases" (24:21). In the Dhammapada the striver purifies himself alone. The Qur'an turns him to the One who is near and answers (2:186), and asks him to purify himself for God's (﷾) sake (92:18-20).
Secular mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practical skill, not a belief. Trials show that it can ease anxiety, depression and pain. A person can take the calm and leave the religion.
Mindfulness helps. A 2014 review of 47 trials found moderate evidence that mindfulness programs bring small to moderate relief from anxiety, depression and pain. For anxiety and depression, the relief was still there at three to six months.
Rebuttal
This page does not dispute what the review found. But if life has a purpose, it comes from whoever made us, and no technique can tell you whether Someone did. A meaning you make for yourself ends with you. So the question to look into is whether there is a Maker who has spoken. The Qur'an says we were not made in jest (23:115), and asks to be tested (4:82; 2:23).
The Islamic perspective
Calm and attention are good, and Islam asks for them in prayer and remembrance. But they are turned toward God (﷾), who remembers and answers in return. Reflection leads to Him, rest of heart is found in Him, and He alone answers why we exist and what follows death.
The Qur'an praises those who humble themselves in prayer. It asks for quiet remembrance of the Lord within oneself, morning and evening.
In the Qur'an, reflection on creation ends in the words "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this!"
God (﷾) remembers those who remember Him, is near, and answers those who call on Him.
Purity is a gift of God (﷾), asked of Him and sought for His sake. Allah (﷾) purifies whom He pleases, and the devoted give to seek the Countenance of their Lord.
Hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah (﷾), the One who abides when all on earth perishes.
God (﷾) did not create people in jest. He created death and life to test which of them is best in deed, and they will return to Him.
Islam (deen) is a complete way of life, built around prayer and remembrance. The Qur'an asks to be tested, and names Muhammad (ﷺ) the Seal of the Prophets, sent to all people.