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Guru Granth Sahib : A Model For Interfaith Understanding

by Dr. KAZI NURUL ISLAM


[Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam is Professor and Chairman of the Department of World Religions and Culture at thea University in Bangladesh.]


Though all the religions of the world teach love, preach sympathy for

others and encourage Man to exercise utmost self-restraint and have

most profoundly been a source of inspiration for the highest good of

mankind, the world today is torn by conflicts, enmity and religious hatred.


In this predicament, a lasting and peaceful society is impossible

unless different faiths are understood in their proper perspectives.

Therefore, it is necessary that people belonging to different faiths

understand each other better. This necessitates a constant dialogue

and effort to generate moral and hearty religious thinking.


The advocates of all the religions of the world emphasize the

importance of certain virtues and moral values. Only these can foster

unity and cohesion of mankind. But the moral and religious values

cannot be invoked by force. This can be achieved through the exchange

of words, kind words, sincere words and loving words that can reach

the deepest fathoms of the heart.


There is no religion without peace and no peace without religion. We

must admit that peace and religion are complementary to each other.

When the good of all is desired with an undivided mind peace will

definitely be ours. But people belonging to different faiths, in most

cases, have betrayed religious ideals and commitment to peace. The

time has come when this betrayal must be corrected. And this can be

and should be done through knowledge, dialogue and demonstration of

the fact that love, compassion, selflessness and the inner force of

truthfulness have ultimately greater power than hatred, enmity and

self-interest.


There was a time when various religions, precisely because of their

own convictions, were unable to cooperate and were even antagonistic

to each other. But the times have changed to a great extent.

Improvement in the means of transportation has made the earth

smaller. Now religions, in-spite of historic differences, must seek

to unite all men for the attainment of world peace. Unless the

peoples of faith come closer to each other the irreligious and

antireligious forces will gain the upper hand. And this may lead to

the further breaking up of the moral fibre of the human society. But

at all cost we must preserve the moral aspect of the texture of human society.


Religious people represent a vast majority of the peoples of the

world. But unfortunately, we are a confused, divided and silent

majority. The religious people of the world have been quite silent

for long, and their silence has worked against human welfare. Our

division, our timidity, and our silence left the mighty forces of

terrorism, fanaticism, racism, poverty, and war unchallenged. Our

silence has been paid for by the suffering of millions, for whom we

should have been advocates, friends, and spokespersons.


The time has come when religionists, instead of antagonizing each

other because of what we once thought was a religious conviction,

should cooperate with each other in order to contribute to the cause

of peace for mankind.


Before I explain my own position as to what makes me feel that the

Guru Granthh Sahib is a model for interreligious understanding in

today's world, let me speak a few words about the attitude of Islam

towards other religions. I believe, this will help us to understand

Guru Granth Sahib's attitude towards other traditions better.


Islam seeks to bring about reconciliation between the followers of

different faiths and establish a basis of respect and honour among

them. Islam can claim uniqueness in that for a person to be a Muslim

it is mandatory that he/she must have respect for the people of

others' faiths, must believe in all the prophets and in all the

revealed texts. The Qur'an teaches us that God has sent His

revelation to all the people from time to time and no section of

mankind has been left without Divine guidance. Many of the prophets

of the Old Testament have been mentioned by name in the Qur'an, and

so also is Jesus, who along with other prophets, is highly revered

and honoured by the Muslims all over the world.


It is stated in the Qur'an : "Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah

and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto

Abraham and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob and the tribes, and that

which the Moses and Jesus received, and that which the Prophets

received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any one of

them, and unto Him we have surrendered."


If a man belies any one of them, he belies all and if a man confirms

and believes in one of them he must and ought to confirm all. "One

who does not believe in any one of the Prophets, would be a *****,

though he must believe in all the Prophets raised in India, China,

Persia Egypt, Africa, Europe and any other countries of the world."

But a Muslim cannot definitely say about a particular person outside

the list of the prophets named in the Qur'an, whether he was or was

not a Prophet.Muslims are also not permitted to say anything against

the holy men of other religions.


Sikhism goes one step further in its attitude forwards other

religions and in its world view.


Sikhism is a religion which was founded on the principles of

interfaith understanding, mutual respect and harmony. From the very

beginning the leaders and the followers of this tradition preached

the principles of interfaith respect, dialogue and understanding. To

be a Sikh it is mandatory that he/she must respect and accept all

other religions of the world and at the same time must protect, guard

and allow the free-practice of the customs and rituals of others. The

Guru Granth Sahib teaches its followers to love all creation as God's

own manifestation. Acceptance of all faiths, and interfaith tolerance

and understanding are basic to the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib.


History of the Sikh tradition shows remarkable consistency in the

pursuit of these ideals and in the defence of the right to free

worship of peoples of all faiths.


The Sikh Gurus perceived that there was lack of real love among the

people and, therefore, they always laid great stress upon spiritual

practices and preached the philosophy of one God, the supreme

Reality. They understood that a new strength and vigour had to be

imported into the field of religion and religious practices, it had

to be brought home to the minds of the people that there really

existed no differences in places of worship resorted to men of

different faiths.


That is why Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and the last Guru, states:

"The temple and the mosque are the same, the Hindu worship and the

Muslim prayer are the same, all men are the same; it is through

erroneous judgment they appear different ... All men have the same

eyes, the same ears, the same body, the same build, a compound of

earth, air, fire and water ... let no man, even by mistake, suppose

there is a difference."


The Sikh Gurus systematized all the past Hindu and Islamic

philosophies and brought a confluence in an organized manner for the

temporal and spiritual uplift of all humanity without any

discrimination. Guru Nanak made friends with both Hindus and Muslims.

He never discriminated against any one. He treated the whole world as

his own family and all human beings as his brothers and sisters. He

raised his voice against injustice anywhere. Like him, all the Sikh

Gurus were large-hearted. None of them were parochial or

narrow-minded, communal or caste-ridden. They set out for the

regeneration of mankind.


The Guru Granth Sahib is a unique sacred text in the history of world

religions. The pattern of this text was conceived and worked out in

such a way that it can integrate various religions and varnas of

India, spiritually, religiously and emotionally. Guru Nanak gave the

idea of this kind of scripture, his successor Gurus subscribed to it

and worked to collect material for most of the Granth.


Guru Arjan collected most of the materials and contributed a major

portion of the Granth in the form of his bani and completed editing

this sacred text in 1604 C.E. Guru Gobind Singh added the hymns of

Guru Teg Bahadar to the Adi Granth and then installed it as the

Guru-Eternal in 1708 C.E., abolishing the personal guruship thereon.


The unique catholicity and egalitarian approach of Guru Arjan is

evident in the fact that, other than the hymns of the Sikh Gurus, he

incorporated the compositions of as many as thirty men of God,

belonging to various castes, creeds, religions and vocations. Among

them were Jaidev of Bengal, Surdas of Awadh, Namadev, Pipa, Sain,

Kabir, Ravidas and Bhikhan of Uttar Pradesh, Dhannu of Rajasthan and

Farid of Multan.


Kabir was a weaver, Sadhna was a butcher, Namdev a seamster, Dhana a

farmer, Sain a barber, Ravidas a cobbler, Farid a Muslim Sufi ... It

may be mentioned here that Guru Gobind Singh hosted fifty two poets

in his court to translate various ancient texts of India with the

object of unifying the people of the subcontinent through their own

literature and culture.


What a wonderful example of catholicity! What a wonderful instance of

egalitarianism! And what a remarkable endeavour for interfaith

understanding!! I salute all those who made this possible.


Sikhism advocates four kinds of unity: unity of God, unity of

mankind, unity of religions and unity of classes. In fact, the

Oneness of God and the essential oneness of humanity is the basic

teaching of Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak was an advocate for peace

and unity. For all the religions of the world, he envisaged a

fellowship of faiths. His efforts for creating an atmosphere for

world-reconciliation and world-amity were much ahead of his time.


The attitude of the Sikh Gurus towards the leaders or founders of

other faiths and their sacred texts is unique and genuinely

praiseworthy. For instance, the attitude of Guru Nanak towards

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was one of unbounded love and

respect. In a verse which is given in the Janam Sakhi of Bhai Bala,

Guru Nanak is stated to have said:


dita nur muhammadi, ditha nabi rasool

Nanak qudrat dekh ke, khudi ghei sab bhool.


"I have seen the light of Muhammad (with my mind's eye). I have seen

the prophet and the messenger of God, in other words, I have

understood his message or imbibed his spirit. After contemplating the

glory of God, my ego was completely eliminated."


In the same spirit Guru Gobind Singh said in his Bacchittar Naatak

("The Wonderful Drama") that prophet Muhammad was a divine messenger

and a great man of religion and faith.


Guru Arjan had profound respect for Mian Mir, a celebrated Muslim

Sufi and had the foundation stone of the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple)

laid by him. This instance alone is enough to prove the magnanimity

and catholicity of the Sikh Gurus.


It may be mentioned here that Muslim scholars had also tremendous

appreciations for the Sikh Gurus. For instance, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad,

the founder of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, observed in his Sat

Bachan that Guru Nanak was a treasure-house of divine knowledge and

knower of all mysteries. The most famous poet-philosopher of this

subcontinent, Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, in one of his immortal verses

expressed that Guru Nanak was a perfect human being and awakened

India from a dormant, dreamy condition to the realization of God.


To the Muslims and Christians, Guru Nanak advises: "Practice within

your heart the teachings of the Qur'an and the Bible; restrain the

ten sensory organs for straining into evil. Tie up the demons of

desire and restore faith, charity and contentment, and you shall be

acceptable."


Guru Nanak vehemently opposes those who criticize the holy books of

other religions. He categorically asks his followers: Do not say that

the Vedas, the Bible and the Qur'an are false. Those who do not

contemplate them are false. Guru Arjan says :


"Neither am I Hindu nor Musalman

This body and spirit is of Allah-Rama"


He also asserts:

"Says Nanak! The Guru removeth delusion, Only Allah is Parbrahma."


This indicates he had tremendous respect for God variously seen as

Allah, Ram and Parbraham; in other words, he loved both the religious

traditions in the same spirit.


The principle which underlies the pattern of Guru Granth Sahib is

that every Sikh gives the same reverence to the Sikh Gurus which he

gives to the other 30 contributors writers of this sacred text. A

Sikh bows to the Guru Granth Sahib in reverence and recites the bani

of all the writers included with the same devotion and respect. It

may be noted here that in the Darbar Sahib as well as in all other

historical or local gurudwaras, the hymns of all these saints, Gurus

and Sufis of India are sung.


The followers of the Guru Granth Sahib pay homage to these Muslim and

Hindu saints ... in addition to the Gurus ... and recite their

writings with equal amount of faith, reverence and devotion.


This is not so and cannot be so in any other religion of the world.


Guru Nanak strongly pleaded for an egalitarian society where all

people could be regarded as equals. In order to eradicate caste

distinction and the social stratification based on caste system, he

created two institutions: Sangat and Pangat. Sangat is the community

congregation where all people sit together for divine contemplation

and prayer and Pangat is the free kitchen where different people

irrespective of their caste and creed sit at the same level and dine together.


The distinction between poor and rich is forgotten, because all share

the same food at the same place. This was, indeed, a revolution

against the inegalitarian society.


A successful revolution without a single drop of blood!


These Sangat and Pangat not only promote egalitarianism but also

promote and enhance interfaith understanding.


Let me give an example of the gurdwara inside Dhaka University

campus. In Bangladesh there is not a single Sikh citizen. Despite

that, on every Friday in this gurdwara, hundreds of people belonging

to different religious backgrounds attend Sangat and join Pangat and

these are promoting interfaith understating in this country. Not only

in Bangladesh where there is a gurudwara, but particularly in Europe

and America, the sangat and pangat have enriched the prestige of the

Sikh community and helped to promote inter-religious harmony.


Guru Nanak argues that if God is one, then all the souls coming from

Him are of the same essence. The natural corollary of monotheism is

oneness of humanity. All the Gurus regarded the whole of mankind as

an organic unity and repudiated the distinction on a mundane plane.

They held that the distinction of colour, language or territory

cannot and should not form the ground for claims of superiority of

one group over the other.


Guru Nanak strongly emphasized the highest common factor in all the

religions of his time which were existing side by side but

unfortunately clashing with one another. He conceived the idea of a

new type of scripture, formed a wholesome approach and attitude

towards fellow religions and philosophical schools.


He provided directions for religious co-existence, philosophical

accommodation and social integration. As we have already mentioned

above, Guru Nanak did not believe in the false barriers of religions

and rigidities of caste. Some scholars hold that he was an ideal

Muslim among Muslims and a model Hindu among Hindus. He believed in

the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man and he not only

propagated this philosophy but also practiced this vigorously in his life.


Universalism is a cardinal value of Sikhism. It is not bracketed with

a particular ethnicity or a particular region. The whole earth has

been revered by Guru Nanak as "mother earth" and as a result he did

not believe in any promised land or holy land.


Sikhism is universal because its primary essential concerns - social,

political, cultural and economic - are of a universal nature,

embracing humanity as a whole. Guru Gobind Singh held that God cannot

be bound to a particular creed, place or era. He (God) cannot be

bracketed with any particular ethnicity. Indeed, He is the Lord of

all the peoples of the world. This makes Sikhism a truly universal religion.


In today's pluralistic world, the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib

can play a vital and constructive role. Sikhism not only acknowledges

and appreciates other faiths but also accepts their validity and

integrates worldly life with the idea of divinity. Guru Granth Sahib

seeks to unite people belonging to different faiths and holds that

the object of religion is not to divide mankind, but to unite it, not

to act like scissors and tear asunder the social fabric, but to act

like a needle and sew it together.


In today's world we must feel that we are all members of one great

family of beings, having different forms of working. We must remember

that we are all marching towards the spiritual realizations of truth and love.


Some in ignorance say, 'My religion is the only one, my religion is the best'.


But when his heart is illumined by true knowledge, he knows that

above all these wars of sects and sectarians presides the one

invisible eternal all-knowing bliss. In fact, the different faiths

are like spokes of a wheel in which God forms the hub. Therefore, let

us - all the religionists - radiate towards that hub and find peace

and solace.


Guru Granth Sahib, I am quite confident, can be a guiding force to

the world in this regard.


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