GURU NANAK (1469 1539 A.D,) the first Sikh {teacher made no distinction at all between a Hindu and a Moslem. In his long journeys carried all on foot to Assam in the East, to ‘Arabia in the West, to Lake Man server in the North, and to Sri Lanka in the extreme South of the Indian subcontinent, most of the time he kept along with him one Hindu and one Moslem, in the persons of Bala and Mardana, By his teachings of universal nature, he endeared himself equally to the followers of Hinduism and Islam. The institution of free kitchen which the earlier Gurus started ‘was open not only to Sikhs, but to all, including members of Hindu and Moslem faiths. The newly built Sikh temples were thrown ‘open to all people, irrespective of their religious faiths, where they could get not only meals but also a few nights’ stay, without paying any charges. These two practices ‘continue in their pure form even to date.

The fifth Guru, Arjun Dev (15631606 A.D.), went as far as to get the foundation stone of the holiest of holy shrine of Mian Mir. The sixth Sikh preceptor, Guru Hargobind (15951644 A.D.) built near Gurdaspur, entirely out of the Sikh funds, a mosque with a ‘view to fulfill the spiritual knees of his Moslem soldiers. The Nineth teacher, Guru Teg Bahadur (16231675 A.D), laid down his precious life in a bid to save from extinction the religion of the weak and spiritless Hindus, from the hands of the bigoted and tyrant ruler of those days. The tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh (16661708 A.D.), who prescribed a distinctive form for the Sikhs, also made it mandatory for them to ‘actively fight against evil, in all its forms and shapes, and to defend at all costs, the weak and oppressed members of society. This injunction had to be carried out in relation to oppressed members of human society, irrespective of their religions.

There are many examples in Sikh history, which show the Sikhs lived up to the above noted ‘edict of the Guru. James Brown, the 18th century British historian gives us a detailed account of the third battle of Panipat, fought on 14th January 1761 A.D. ,between the Hindu Marathas and Ahmed Shah Abdali — the Afghan invader. After winning this battle, the Afghan soldiers carried along with them five thousand women of high Brahminic caste. The Sikhs were not a party to the dispute, but they found it hard to accept the bitter fact of Brahminic women being transported to Afghanistan. While the invaders, on their way back home, were crossing river Bias in Punjab, they fell upon them and rescued as many as twenty-two hundred young women. Later, they delivered them safely to their homes in Maharashtra, about fifteen hundred kilometres away. James Brown further tells us that ‘while the womenfolk rode all the way on their horses, the Sikhs were content to walk alongside them.

The foregoing examples and many more like them, emphasizing the fundamental unity of man, respect for other person’s religion, and the attitude of alleviating distress of humanity at large, have not been taken, by many, in the spirit in which they were intended. Falling to recognize the basic fact of the unity and brotherhood of man, some non-Sikhs have come to form the view that Sikhism as a faith is nearer to Hinduism than to.

Islam, and vice versa. Some even go as far as to ask: “Is Sikhism a part of Islam or of Hinduism?”

This question, which was raised as early as in the late 16th century was answered by Guru Arjan Dev in the following words: “Neither I keep the fast (like a Hindu), nor do I observe the month of austerity (like a Moslem).

I serve only Him who liberates all, in the end, The same is my Gaussian, the same is my Allah, for | have found release from the Hindus and the Moslems (who tend to treat their respective Gods as two different entities). the pilgrim stations of the Hindus, nor do I go to the Kaaba to

Perform EEG I serve only one God; I serve no other except Him. I worship not the Hindu way, nor say prayers as the Moslems do.

I greet only the one Formless Being, within my heart”. (A.G. 1136:11)

The Sikh Guru concludes his discussion as regards the true nature of his religion thus:

“[is neither a Hindu, nor a Moslem, My body and the vital force abiding in it, belong to both Allah and Ram”. (A.G. 1136; 14)

In the presence of such a clear and unequivocal pronouncement made by no other but a Sikh prophet himself, do we need any other proof to establish the fact of independent nature of Sikh religion?

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 27, 1987