So Now They Say Guru Nanak Dev Jee's Father

[Mehtab Singh]

http://www.karma2grace.org/Webcomponents/F...ndex.asp?det=68

Q: What do Sikhs and Muslims have in Common?

A: Sikhism was begun 300 years ago in Punjab, now a state in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan, by Nanak, a man whose mother was Hindu and whose father was Muslim. The conflict between their faiths led him to seek another, deeper reality, and his teachings became known as Sikhism. Nanak, who was called a Guru upon his enlightenment, was followed by nine further human gurus. The capstone of the guru succession was when the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, declared that the Adi Granth (the Sikh holy book, containing the hymns of all the gurus and other holy men) was now Guru Granth Sahib, the final and everlasting lord and guru. It is to the Granth Sahib that Sikhs now owe their reverence and obedience, and through which they hope to attain salvation.

As with most religions, there are important differences between the formal religion and the way it is practiced by ordinary folk. Historically speaking, the origins of Sikhism in Guru Nanak’s search for reconciliation between the faiths that divided India suggest that there should be a number of similarities between Sikhism and Islam. In truth, this is so at the formal level. Sikhism shares Islam’s espoused distaste for ritual and the trappings of ritual, though both faiths do have certain regular rites of prayer. Both religions have injunctions against idolatry. Sikhs and Muslims are also both strict monotheists, though it must be appreciated that the Sikh concept of God is far different from that which is typical of Islam, being more mystical and tending towards the impersonal.

There are also a number of differences at the formal level. For instance, Sikhism denies the reality of angels and demons, both of which figure prominently in Islamic belief. Sikhs also denounce miracles, pilgrimage, and fasting, all of which are important signs and practices in Islam. Sikhs may not eat meat from animals killed in the kosher fashion, for while such meat is considered clean by Muslims and Jews, the method of slaughter is deemed unnecessarily cruel by Sikhs.

Moreover, the Sikh understanding of reality is much more like that of Buddhism or Hinduism, that physical reality is an entrapment of the soul, and that salvation can only be found when someone becomes detached from the world and indeed from himself. Additionally, the gurus have always affirmed the Hindu doctrine of karma, albeit potentially modified by God’s grace. (It must be understood that in Sikhism God’s grace is not guaranteed and is, in fact, mainly earned by already having sufficiently good karma.)

Practically speaking, there are various external similarities between Sikhs and Muslims. For example, there is modesty in dress and an emphasis on a strong public display of morality. Too, the Gurdwara (Sikh temple) like a mosque is organized in such a way as to very strictly divide the place and role of men and women, though they are afforded the same spiritual value.

That said, the outward signs associated with being a member of the Khalsa (loosely, baptized Sikhs) are usually sufficient to distinguish them (at least the men) from Muslims. Devout followers of the Khalsa code must observe a strict, eight-point moral code and must wear the five external symbols: kachha, or shorts (now worn as underwear); kara, or a wristband (most commonly a steel bracelet on the right wrist); kirpan, or sword (sometimes now worn as a pendant or other jewelry); kes, unshorn hair; and kanga, a special comb worn in the unshorn hair. Additionally, by tradition, male Sikhs commonly wear a turban as a sign of pride and self-sufficiency, and also an article of convenience, since their heads must be covered during religious observances. (A woman will usually cover her head with the chunni, or long and broad scarf, which is part of modest Punjabi dress.)

At the level of ordinary religious practice, the differences between Sikhs and orthodox Muslims become more pronounced. While technically opposed to all idolatry, the reverence shown to the Guru Granth Sahib (it is placed on an ornate altar, covered respectfully with a cloth when not being recited from, and given a luxurious bed to sleep on at night) is uncomfortably close to idol worship for many Muslims. At a folk level, the distinctions which were important to the Gurus, who taught that the path to salvation lies not in a book or in another man but in inward reflection, are often obscured or altogether lost. It is not uncommon for a Sikh to refer to the Granth Sahib as, “our god.”

Furthermore, the inclusivity of the Granth Sahib, which contains hymns of other religions written by men who like Nanak were on spiritual journeys, together with the universality and somewhat vague definition of God in Sikhism, lead to a real openness in many Sikhs to the teachings of other faiths. “You have your god and I have mine,†they may say. “All ways to God are just as good.†For many Sikhs, this means more than just a tolerance for other religions, but an acceptance of them. It is not uncommon for Sikhs, especially adults in their twenties and thirties, to also practice Hinduism. This sort of broadly-construed monotheism is quite incompatible with more literal understanding of God found in Islam’s Allah.

While Sikhism’s origins led the gurus to adopt some of the beliefs of Islam – and of Hinduism – they also led them to reject many of them. The goal was to show a path to enlightenment which was available to all, regardless of caste, sex, or other externals, and in so doing they set fort a religion which has some general similarities to Islam but is really quite distinctive.

- Ren Shengli

[Wicked Warrior]

Later on in another question "Is the belief of Sikhs that Guru Nanak has had contact with God...."

Guru Nanak was born to a Hindu father and Muslim mother. He was reared as a Sant Hindu —someone who was a unique brand of Hindu who disparaged the caste system and believed in looking beyond religious differences to greater spiritual realities.

Not sure about the "hindu sant" I always thought that everyone saw him as a saint, except his dad, who tried to make Guru Ji work/get married etc

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

People say a lot of things...look:

Parkash Badal is a Brahm Gyani...just cause I say it don't make it true...

[WGJKKWGJKF]

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Lol... by the looks of it these ppl are so insecure that they have to make things up about Sikhi...

I contacted one of the ppl about another article cuple of weeks back that they made stuff up about Sikhi... coz he essentially written that Guru Nanak made stuff up and he said anyone can make things up... now thats funny how he believes in Jesus Christ and didnt that rule apply to him 'that anyone can make things up'? and i told them please dont write things that you dont have knowledge about, looks like they never listened to my advice anyways.

Anyways about this... i think the site is actually made by Christians... i dont know if it was this site (but im pretty sure it was this one) i had also noticed an article about a Christian who said that his faith was shaken in Christianity since his Hindu friend said that a verse in the Bible was a rip off from the Hindu Vedas (which i think it was the same verse in the Vedas which John took i think -chapter 1 verse 11 summet like taht) and the man replied and gave a big long example that ppl can make things up... and gave him some questions to ask his friend and he told him to ask proof.

And all the articles on the site are biased towards other faiths... if you read carefully they make Christianity things sound like facts and the other faiths asif its man-made and there not reliable.

Lol... this person doesnt a have a clue what hes on about - it was 500 yrs ago since Sikhi began and not 300 yrs ago... and since he mentioned Guru Nanak he should of known that and its funny how he said that the argument began since one of his parents were Muslim and one was Hindu...

For starters his father was a Hindu... Mehta Kalu.

But anyways it would of been common sense for the writer to know that his father wasnt a Muslim...

coz as per my knowledge in those days this would been a unherd of... a Muslim and a Hindu getting married.

And if his father was a Muslim... surely he would of converted her to Islam... since a Muslim aint alowed to marry a person who worships idols since this is a grave sin in Islam to worshi idols. And looking at the era of that time when Hindus were slaughtered by Muslims... does he really think the Muslim rulers would of allowed this... when Hindus were slaughtered just coz of there religion... now what would the ruler of done knowing that a fellow Muslim married a Hindu?

Now to the comment:

'The conflict between their faiths led him to seek another, deeper reality, and his teachings became known as Sikhism.'

This comment doesnt make sense... coz Guru Nanak when he had his experience with God... God told him what to preach... and it wasnt Guru Nanaks need to 'seek another'.

This comment is like saying Jesus Christ born a Jew in which there was conflicts between the 2 sects (one believed in the literal teaching of the prophets and the other said no it doesnt have to be followed literally- in which Jesus Christ said the laws has to be followed literally) led him to seek another 'Christianity'.

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH