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Islam is based around the belief that Muhammad is the Seal of the prophets. It came into existence in the seventh century and views Jews, Christians and Muslims as "People of the Book", as all three major faiths are part of the Abrahamic religions. Muslims also believe Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus were prophets.

Sikhism came into existence in the fifteenth century. It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world^[1] and one of the fastest-growing.^[2] The Sikh Gurus (or teachers) have emphasized recognizing all humans as equal before Waheguru,^[3] regardless of colour, caste, race, gender or religion.^[4] The Sikh Gurus did not call themselves prophets. The emphasis is on a single all pervading God and creating a relationship with him. There is no place for intermediaries.

Sikhs embody the qualities of a Sant-Sipahie, a saint-soldier. One must have control over one's internal vices and be able to be constantly immersed in virtues clarified in the Guru Granth Sahib. A Sikh must also have the courage to defend the rights of all who are wrongfully oppressed or persecuted irrespective of religion, colour, caste or creed. Baptized Sikhs are initiated into the Khalsa Panth, the Khalsa is Akal Purakh de fauj - the Army of God. Guru Gobind Singh (10th guru of Sikhism) clearly choose these words very deliberately - He did not state that the Khalsa was the army of the Khalsa or an army of the Sikhs or the army of Punjab - but an Army of God whose function was the protection and safeguarding of all the peoples of God regardless colour, caste, race, gender or religion.

The book of the Muslims is known as the Qu'ran, Islam believes the angel Gabriel was the medium through whom God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, and that he sent a message to all prophets. The Sikh holy book is known as the Guru Granth Sahib, it contains the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and includes passages from both Hindu and Sufi saints. The Sikh Gurus have referred to their compositions as dhur ki bani or the word of primal divine source. Again, no intermediary communicated this word of God.

The spread of Islam in South Asia was greatly aided by many Islamic dynasties that ruled parts of the Indian subcontinent starting from the 12th century. The prominent ones include the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) and the Mughal Empire (1526–1857). The Sikh gurus frequently came into direct confrontation with some of the Mughal rulers due to the Sikh faith's opposition to forced conversions.^{[verification needed]} The Sikhs abolished Mughal rule in the whole province in one stroke and where the first army in history to destroy the Mughal Empire and conquer Afghanistan,^[5] which lead to the creation of a Sikh Empire in the late-17th century. By the late-18th century, the British Empire had extended their Empire east towards the Punjab which lead to British invading the Empire of the Sikhs. Soon after the British army began recruiting large number of Sikhs into the British Army, in which the Sikhs made up to 25% of the soldiers in World War I and World War II. This was under the Martial Race Theory that Sikhs were born warriors, which proved true as the Sikhs were awarded 14 Victoria Crosses for their bravery and over 27 battle honours (a record).

Sikhism is opposed to the concept of forced conversions and strongly believes in the fatherhood of an omnipresent, omnipotent and all pervasive God and brotherhood of man. Sikhs believe in one God and basic foundation elements of Sikh lifestyle involves five principles, which are Nām Japō or Simran "meditation on Waheguru", Kirat Karō "honest labor", Vaṇḍ Chakkō or Sewa "charity to the community", Bana "Sikh attire or Dress code", and Shastar "physicality defend oneself and others". Guru Nanak Dev was the founder of Sikhism, the teachings of the first five Sikh Gurus were compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev into the Guru Granth Sahib. These included teachings of saints of the Hindu and Muslim faith also. The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, before his death, declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal guru of the Sikhs for all times to come, and copies were distributed by Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Mani Singh to Sikhs.

The Gurus and their Muslim contemporaries[link]

Guru Nanak's preachings were directed with equal force to all humans regardless of their religion.^[6] While many historians and theologians argue that his philosophy was influenced by other faiths, Guru Nanak's focus was on recognizing the authority of a singular creator who is all pervading and has existed forever and will continue to exist for ever, away from the repetitive cycles of life and death^[7]

According to Sikh tradition, while in Baghdad as part of his journey to Mecca and Medina, Guru Nanak had extensive dialogue with Muslim scholars there.^[8] In one discourse with a pir.

At Mecca, Guru Nanak was found sleeping^[9] with his feet towards the Kaaba^[10] Kazi Rukan-ud-din,^[11] who observed this, angrily objected. Nanak replied with a request to turn his feet in a direction in which God or the House of God is not." The Qadi took hold of the Guru's feet. Then he lifted his eyes seeing the Kaaba standing in the direction of the Guru's feet,^[10] wherever he turned them. Guru Nanak was pointing out that if he moves his feet elsewhere God is still in that direction as God is Omnipresent i.e. not confined by space (or time). The travels of Guru Nanak to Middle East included Baghdad and Mecca and Medina and stones exist in Iraq erected by the local rulers that record these visits.

The Muslim rulers of the Lodhi dynasty and the first Mughals were too concerned with consolidating their respective rules, and Akbar's liberalism led him to establish cordial relations with India's religions.^[12] The influence of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi and the Sufi Naqshbandi order on Jahangir led to the subsequent execution of Guru Arjan Dev in 1606.^[12]

The Sikh rebellion against Mughal rule[link]

In a temporary alliance, both groups Hindu Kings and Muslim Governors attacked Guru Gobind Singh and his followers.^{[clarification needed]} The united Mughal-Rajput Imperial alliance laid siege to the fort at Anandpur Sahib. In an attempt to dislodge the Sikhs, Aurangzeb vowed that the Guru and his Sikhs would be allowed to leave Anandpur safely. Aurangzeb is said to have validated this promise in writing. Aurangzeb failed to keep his promise and the Mughals were alerted and engaged them in battle once again; where two of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh [Zoravar Singh and Fateh Singh] aged only 9 and 7 were bricked up alive within a wall by Wazir Khan in Sirhand (Punjab). The other two elder sons [Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh] as well as many other Singhs fought with giant Mughal force and were martyred during battle.

During the 18th century, Guru Gobind Singh sent his brave Sikh general, Banda Singh along with some hundred Singhs to punish those who had committed atrocities against Pir Buddhu Shah and avenge the murder of his youngest sons. Banda Singh with a large group of Sikhs advanced towards the main Muslim Mughal city of Sirhind and followed the instructions of the guru, he punished all the culprits and took over the city. Soon after Wazir Khan commissioned two Pathans, Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg,^[13] to assassinate the Guru. The two secretly pursued the Guru and got an opportunity to attack him at Nanded.^[14] Jamshed Khan stabbed the Guru in the left side below the heart while he was resting in his chamber after the Rehras prayer. Guru Gobind Singh killed the attacker with his Talwar (traditional Sikh curved sword), while the attacker's companion tried to flee but was killed by Sikhs who had rushed in on hearing the noise.

A European surgeon sent by Bahadur Shah stitched the Guru's wound. However, the wound re-opened and caused profuse bleeding, as the Guru tugged at a hard strong bow after a few days in training. Very soon the death of the Guru reached Banda Singh and Sikhs all over Punjab. After this the Sikhs took over many Muslim and Mughal lands, establishing a Sikh Empire.

Other existing Muslim Emperors proclaimed a jihad or a holy war against Banda Singh and the Khalsa. However many Muslim army’s and their Generals fled in dismay and despair after Wazir Khan's head was stuck up on a spear and lifted high up by a Sikh who took his seat at Sirhind, Muslim troops on beholding the head took alarm. Many Muslims embraced Sikhism and joined the Khalsa. Banda Singh at this time also married the daughter of a Muslim General. However the concept of jihad was re-proclaimed, it took over 60,000 Muslim troops to capture 400 Sikh's and Banda Singh, where Banda Singh was captured and tortured to death.^[15] However after the death of Banda Singh, the Sikh Empire was crowned a new King or Maharajah, called Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The new king and the Sikh Misls(twelve Sikh generals of the twelve states in Punjab) rose to power in a series of sweeping military and diplomatic victories. Increasing the number of Sikhs and spreading the Empire further. The Sikh's vast empire comprised almost 200,000 square miles (520,000 km²) of what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India.

The Empire of the Sikhs was widely feared by many natives including Muslims, Hindus, Persians and many Asian countries. Even many Pathans who had previously lived their during the Islamic rule, attempted many times to attack the Empire with over 20,000 troops, in which cases Maharaja Ranjit Singh along with his most bravest Sikh warrior, named Akali Phula Singh Nihang (at the age of 65) and a few hundred Singhs set upon to deal with the invading Pathans and bring them under control. Eventually, during a battle, a Pathan hiding behind a boulder shot Akali Phula Singh from close range then a number of Pathan soldiers began shooting him on while on the floor. Akali Phula Singh was found bullet ridden.

The Sikhs remained control of the Empire and Muslims accepted their loss and were not harmed living within the Empire. They faced many odds and over come them all, however another challenge was yet to come. In the East, the British Empire took over thousands of square miles of land, including eastern parts of India and many Asian countries, soon reaching the Sikh Empire where the British would also meet their biggest challenge during their Conquest. Both British and Sikh sides lost many troops and heavy number of materials in various battles, such as the Anglo-Sikh wars. The British was claimed to be unbeatable, but Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikhs were the only people who could stand toe to toe with the British forces. For the first time during the British Conquest the British were unable to invade and resulted in both sides having to stop and come to terms. Narrated by Mohanlal Kashmiri, Secretary to Sir Alexander Burnes, Maharaja Ranjit Singh replied to the British, "As long as I'm alive, the British will never conquest here." This led to further Anglo-Sikh wars and further loss on both sides. In 1839, the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Empire fell on the shoulders of his son, Maharaja Duleep Singh (at the age of 11). The Empire had fallen. The British Commission General describes Maharaja Ranjit Singh, "was by all accounts a fierce and revered conquerer."

Differences between Islam and Sikhism[link]

Sikhs are prohibited from eating halal and kosher food or any other ritually slaughtered (known as kutha meat) meat or fish.^[16] Sikhs eat non-halal meat (Jhatka), although Gurudwara langar is largely lacto-vegetarian, though this is understood to be a result of efforts to present a meal that is respectful of the diets of any person who would wish to dine, rather than out of dogma. Sikhs do not believe in pilgrimages; Muslims, in contrast, consider Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) a crucial part of the faith. Male Sikhs do not circumcise unlike Muslim males.

The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: أركان الإسلام‎) is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are Shahada (Profession of Faith), Salat (prayers), Zakat (Giving of Alms), Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). These five practices are essential to Sunni Islam; Shi'a Muslims subscribe to eight ritual practices which substantially overlap with the five Pillars.^[17]

The Five Ks of Sikhism, Kesh is uncut clean hair, Kangha a wooden comb, Kachera are clean white shorts, Kara is a steel or iron bracelet worn on the wrist, in battle they may be used as brass knuckles and larger ones worn on the turban are thrown, and the Kirpan is a long sharp sword worn to protect innocent and defenseless people in violent clashes and uphold justice and rights.^[18]

The foundation elements of Sikh lifestyle involves these five principles. Which is Bana, Bani, Sewa, Simran and Shastar. A foundation of a Sikh life sits on these four basic principles and the fifth one is to protect it all.

Bana - Bana is the Sikh attire given by Guru Gobind Singh, which is robe of electric blue,^[19] bangles or bracelets of iron round their wrists (kara), and quoits of steel (chakram) in their lofty conical blue and/or orange turbans, together with daggers, knives and swords of varying sizes (kirpan) and other weapons. This attire has much to do with military status.

Bani - Bani or Gurbani is the term used by Sikhs to refer to any compositions of the Sikh Gurus. Gurbani is composed of two words: 'Gur' meaning 'the Guru's' and 'bani' meaning 'word'.

Sewa - Sewa(pronounced Seva) is a selfless service. An example of Seva is in all Sikh temples, common kitchen/canteen where food is served in a Gurdwara to all visitors (regardless of religion, race, gender or creed) for free. At the langar, only vegetarian food is served, to ensure that all people, regardless of their dietary restrictions, can eat as equals.

Simran - Simran is a Punjabi word derived from the Sanskrit word "the act of remembering or calling to mind, remembrance, reminiscence, recollection of"), thus 'realization of that which is of the highest aspect and purpose in one's life', thus introducing spirituality.

Shastar - Shastar is the weapon aspect, which is there to defend the four foundation principles and should be used if needed to protect it. Not only to protect the Sikhi lifestyle but the lifestyle and people of all religions who are being oppressed. When a Sikh carries his weapon it has both a physical function, as a defensive weapon, as well as a symbolic function, the power of truth to cut through untruth. Guru Gobind Singh made a clear statement on using Shastar, he announced; "When all means to keep peace and justice fail, it is righteous to draw the sword."

Role and Equality of Women[link]

The Qur'an states in 4:34, that "Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard." Although the Quran does say this, the superiority of men is interpreted in terms of strength by the context - men maintain women.^[20] Sharia (Islamic law) provides for complementarianism,^[21] differences between women's and men's roles, rights, and obligations. However neither the Quran nor Hadith mention women have to be housewives.^[22][23][24] Majority Muslim countries give women varying degrees of rights with regards to marriage, divorce, civil rights, legal status, dress code, and education based on different interpretations. Scholars and other commentators vary as to whether they are just and whether they are a correct interpretation of religious imperatives.

It is outlined in the Sikh scriptures that the Sikh woman is to be regarded as equal to the Sikh man. Women are considered to have the same souls as men and an equal right to grow spiritually. They are allowed to lead religious congregations, take part in the Akhand Path (the continuous recitation of the Holy Scriptures), perform Kirtan (congregational singing of hymns), work as a Granthi, and participate in all religious, cultural, social, and secular activities. As such, Sikhism was the first major world religion to state that women were equal in every single respect. To ensure equal status for women, the Gurus^[25] made no distinction between the sexes in matters of initiation, instruction or participation in sangat (holy fellowship) and pangat (eating together). According to Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, Guru Amar Das disfavoured the use of the veil by women. He assigned women to supervise some communities of disciples and preached against the custom of sati. Sikh history records the names of many women, such as Mata Gujri, Mai Bhago, Rani Sahib Kaur, Rani Sada Kaur, Maharani Jind Kaur and even the wife of Guru Gobind Singh, Jeeto Kaur, who played an important role in the events of their time.

Islamic predestination[link]

In accordance with the Islamic belief in predestination, or divine preordainment (al-qadā wa l-qadar), God has full knowledge and control over all that occurs. This is explained in Qur'anic verses such as "Say: 'Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us: He is our protector'…"^[26] For Muslims, everything in the world that occurs, good or evil, has been preordained and nothing can happen unless permitted by God. In Islamic theology, divine preordainment does not suggest an absence of God's indignation against evil, because any evils that do occur are thought to result in future benefits men may not be able to see. According to Muslim theologians, although events are pre-ordained, man possesses free will in that he has the faculty to choose between right and wrong, and is thus responsible for his actions. According to Islamic tradition, all that has been decreed by God is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfūz, the "Preserved Tablet".^[27]

Islamic predestination concerns in reality less the life after the current life but the regulation of cases within the current life, like for instance the life of a warrior in jihad or struggle in the way of God, which renders him a place in Paradise. Concerning eternal life, it is positively acquired through the absolute declaration of faith in Allah and Muhammad. The key concepts mentioned in the Qu'ran are jabar (determination) and qadar (predestination).

The Shia understanding of predestination is called "divine justice" (adalah). This doctrine, developed in Sunnism as well by the Mu'tazili, stresses the importance of man's responsibility for his own actions. In contrast, the Sunni de-emphasize the role of individual free will in the context of God's creation and foreknowledge of all things.^[28]

Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with a direct personal experience and is considered one of the mystical dimensions of Islam,^[29][30][31] and as such may be compared to various forms of mysticism such as Bhakti form of Hinduism, Hesychasm form of Greek Orthodox, Zen form of Buddhism, Kabbalah from Judaism and Gnosticism from Christian mysticism.

The concept of a Last Judgment^[32] is found in all of the Abrahamic religions whereas the Sikh Gurus taught reincarnation and karma, which are also Hindu beliefs,^[33] and Muhammad preached of a Qiyamah.^[34] Muslims, as do Christians, accept from their scriptures, the concepts of Heaven or Jannah and Hell or Jahannam,^[35] whereas in the Dharmic faiths one reaps the fruit of their own Karma to attain Nirvana.^[36][37][38] Sikhs are instructed to transcend and merge one's soul directly with God. The Sikh has to rise above ego in order to escape repetitive reincarnation^[12] and attain permanent union with the creative immanence of God.^[39] Having done so, the soul retains its identity; man and God are never ontologically identical.^[40]

Harmandir Sahib and Mecca[link]

The Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple).

Harmandir Sahib, also known as "The Golden Temple" is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab (India). In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and English name of "Golden Temple".

Harmandir Sahib is considered holy by Sikhs because the eternal guru of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, is always present inside it and its construction was mainly intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally.^[41] In keeping with the rule observed at all Sikh temples worldwide, the Harmandir Sahib is open to all persons regardless of their religion, colour, creed, or gender.

The temple is surrounded by a large pool of water, known as the Sarovar, which consists of Amrit ("holy water" or "immortal nectar"). There are four entrances to the temple, signifying the importance of acceptance and openness. Inside the temple complex there are many shrines to past Sikh gurus, saints and martyrs (see map). There are three holy trees (bers), each signifying a historical event. Inside the temple there are many memorial plaques that commemorate past Sikh historical events, saints, martyrs and a display of Sikh artifacts belonging to Sikh gurus and martyrs and includes commemorative inscriptions of all the Sikh soldiers who died fighting in World Wars I and II.

The third of the six grand Mughals, Emperor Akbar, who visited the third Sikh guru, Guru Amar Das, in the neighbouring town of Goindval, was so impressed by the way of life in the town that he gave a jagir (the land and the revenues of several villages in the vicinity) to the guru's daughter Bhani as a gift on her marriage to Bhai Jetha, who later became the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. Guru Ram Das enlarged the lake and built a small township around it. The town was named after Guru Ram Das as Guru Ka Chak', Chak Ram Das or Ram Das Pura. The temple was completed in 1604. Guru Arjan Dev, installed the Guru Granth Sahib in it and appointed Baba Buddha Ji as the first Granthi (reader) of it on August 1604. In the mid-18th century it was attacked by the Afghans, by one of Ahmed Shah Abdali's generals, Jahan Khan, and had to be substantially rebuilt in the 1760s. However, in response a Sikh Army was sent to hunt down the Afghan force. They were under orders to show no mercy and historical evidence suggests the Sikh Army was decisively victorious in the ensuing battle. Both forces met each other five miles outside Amritsar; Jahan Khan's army was destroyed.^[42][42]

Masjid al-Haram Mecca.

Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. As the birthplace of Muhammad and a site of the composition of the Quran,^[43][44] Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in Islam,^[45] and a pilgrimage to it, known as the Hajj, is obligatory upon all able Muslims.

According to Islamic tradition, the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham (Ibrahim) who built the Kaaba with the help of his elder son Ishmael in around 2000 BCE when the inhabitants of what was then known as Bakkah had fallen away from the original monotheism of Abraham through the influence of the Amelkites.^[46] However, outside of Islamic tradition, little is known about the Kaaba before the 5th century CE. Islamic tradition attributes the beginning of Mecca to Ishmael's descendants. Ptolemy may have called the city "Macoraba", though this identification is controversial.^[47] Archaeology found no inscriptions or mentions of Mecca from before that time, although other cities and kingdoms in that region are well documented in historical records. Around the 5th century CE, the Kaaba was a place of worship for the deities of Arabia's pagan tribes. Mecca's most important pagan deity was Hubal, which had been placed there by the ruling Quraysh tribe^[48][49] and remained until the 7th century CE.

The ancient or early name for the site of Mecca is Bakkah (also transliterated Baca, Baka, Bakah, Bakka, Becca, Bekka, etc.).^[50][51][52] An Arabic language word, its etymology, like that of Mecca, is obscure.^[53] Widely believed to be a synonym for Mecca, it is said to be more specifically the early name for the valley located therein, while Muslim scholars generally use it to refer to the sacred area of the city that immediately surrounds and includes the Kaaba.^[54][55]

The pilgrimage to Mecca involves millions of Muslims from all over the world to pray, women are to pray behind the men. There are two pilgrimages, the Hajj and the Umrah. Once a year, the Hajj, the greater pilgrimage, takes place in Mecca and nearby sites. During the Hajj, several million people of varying nationalities worship in unison. Every adult, healthy, sane Muslim who has the financial and physical capacity to travel to Mecca and can make arrangements for the care of his/her dependents during the trip, must perform the Hajj once in a lifetime. Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage, is not obligatory, but is recommended in the Qur'an.^[56] Often, they perform the Umrah while visiting the Masjid al-Haram.

Sufi saints in the Guru Granth Sahib[link]

• Bhagat Beni^[57][58]
• Bhagat Bhikhan^[58]
• Fariduddin Ganjshakar (Baba Farid)^[58][59]
• Bhagat Sadhana^[58]

Sufi saint: Hazrat Mian Mir construction of Golden Temple[link]

In December 1588, the Sufi saint of Lahore, Mian Mir,^[58][60] who was a close friend of Guru Arjan Dev, initiated the construction of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) by laying the first foundation stone.^[61]

Bhai Mardana Ji: Muslim follower of Guru Nanak[link]

Bhai Mardana Ji (1459–1534) was a Muslim^[62] and one of the first followers alongside Bhai Bala,^[63][64] who travelled with Nanak in his early journeys across India and Asia. On his later journeys, Nanak was accompanied by Saido and Greho, and Mardana remained with his family.^[58] Mardana was born a Muslim^[62] to a Mirasi couple, Badra and Lakkho, of Rai Bhoi di Talwandi (modern Nankana Sahib, capital of Nankana Sahib District of Pakistan).

Shah Bhikhan[link]

Pir Bhikhan Shah, a 17th century Sufi saint, was born the son of Sayyid Muhammad Yusaf of Siana Sayyidari, a village 5 km (3.1 mi) from Pehowa (in modern Kurukshetra district of Haryana). For a time, he lived at Ghuram in present day Patiala district of the Punjab and finally settled at Thaska, again in Kurukshetra district. He was the disciple of Abu l-Muali Shah, a Sufi divine residing at Ambhita, near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and soon became a saint of much repute and piety in his own right.

According to a tradition preserved in Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Pir Bhikhan Shah, as he learnt through intuition of the birth of Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708) at Patna, made obeisance that day to the east instead of to the west. At this, his disciples demurred, for no Muslim should make such respectful gestures except towards the Kaaba in Mecca.

The pir explained that in a city in the east, God had revealed Himself through a newborn baby, to whom he had bowed and to no ordinary mortal. Bhikhan Shah with his disciples then traveled all the way to Patna to have a glimpse of the infant Gobind Rai, barely three months old. Desiring to know what would be his attitude to the two major religious peoples of India, he placed two small pots in front of the child, one representing in his own mind Hindus and the other Muslims. As the child covered both the pots simultaneously with his tiny hands, Bhikhan Shah felt happy concluding that the new seer would treat both Hindus and Muslims alike and show equal respect to both.

Sikh chronicles^[65] record another meeting between Guru Gobind Singh and Pir Bhikhan Shah, which took place in 1672 when the latter went to see him at Lakhnaur, near Ambala, where he was halting for some time on his way from Patna to Kiratpur.^[65]

Recent relations[link]

During the partition of India in 1947, there was much bloodshed between Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, there was mass migration of people from all walks of life to leave their homes and belongings and travel by foot across the new border, on trains and on land people were killed in what was felt to be revenge attacks.

Today in the Indian subcontinent, relations between Indians and Pakistanis are very positive since relations between India and Pakistan have improved overall in the last 10 years, both countries have experienced increased levels of tourism by Pakistani Muslims wishing to visit Indian Islamic shrines or sport events in India, or Sikhs wishing to visit the few historical gurudwaras in neighboring Punjab in Pakistan.^[66][67]

There are, however, tensions that remain in UK between Sikhs and Muslims regarding some allegations that some Sikhs have been forced to convert to Islam.^[68][69]

In 2009, the Taliban in Pakistan demanded that Sikhs in the region pay them the jizya (poll tax levied by Muslims on non-Muslim minorities).^[70]

In 2010 the Taliban attacked many minorities including Sikhs resulting in two beheadings.^[71]

Ahmadiyya Muslims and Sikhism[link]

Sikhs and Ahmadi Muslims have historically had very good relations. A lot of Sikh religious representatives are often invited to the Ahmadiyya National Jalsa in Qadian, India.^[72] Even today Sikhs have very good relations with the Ahmadi Muslims.^[73] The Fourth Calif of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community referred to Sikhs as his own brothers. In 2005 the fifth Calif of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community visited Qadian India where he met several Sikh leaders who showed him great love and affection due to their historical strong ties with Ahmadies.^[74]

Ahmadies view Guru Nanak as a very holy person and a great Saint. Thus Guru Nanak serves as a great uniting factor between Ahmadi Muslims and Sikhs. However like some other Muslims, Ahmadies also regard Guru Nanak as a Muslim Saint. Ahmadies hold the view that Guru Nanak did not come to start a new religion as he mentions in several of his speeches. In fact Sikhism as known today was started around 200 years after the Gurus death. Guru Nanak did not teach the 5 k's of Sikhism. These were introduced by the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, who also introduced the element of militancy into Sikhism. They claim that Guru Gobind Singh had political problems with the Moghuls (who were Muslims) some of whom at times unfairly persecuted non-Muslims. As a result of these political wars some people of the Punjab region started resenting the Moghuls and all that they stood for; which of course included their religion Islam. Overtime the movement against Moghuls became stronger and stronger and the hatred towards Moghuls also turned into hatred towards Islam by some Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh played a key role in organising a military against the Moghuls and introduced the 5 k's to them as well.^[75]

At the time of Guru Nanak's death there were no Sikhs as known today. At his funeral only Muslims and Hindus were present and both demanded the body of Guru Nanak. Hindus wanted to burn it as they claimed that he was born into a Hindu family. Muslims wanted to bury the body because they claimed he had converted to Islam and hence should be buried in an Islamic fashion and an Islamic funeral prayer should be carried out. Today Muslims present this as one of the arguments in favour of the claim that Guru Nanak was a Muslim as Muslims do not offer the Islamic funeral prayer for anyone who is not a Muslim regardless of his worldly position.^[76]

The founder of the Ahmadiyya, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, also wrote a book called Sat Bachan in the late 19th century in which he defended Guru Nanak against attacks by a prominent Hindu leader of the time. In his book, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad demonstrates that Guru Nanak was not a person of bad character as claimed by some Hindus at the time but was a very pious holy saint. Later in the book, attention is drawn to several belongings of Guru Nanak such as his chola (a long garment that Guru Nanak used to wear) which had Quranic verses written on it.^[75][77] Along with this historical fact the author presents several other arguments which attempt to show that Guru Nanak was a Muslim.^[75]

See also[link]

• Battle of Chamkaur
• Conversion of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques
• Divisions of the world in Islam
• Islam and other religions
• Mughal Empire

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• The Holy Qu'ran
• Talib, Gurbachan (1950). Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947. India: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. Online 1 Online 2
• Ahmadiyya views concerning Sikhism

External links[link]

• The Moguls
• History of The Sikhs Webportal
• The Sikhs Homepage

Guru Nanak ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ
A rare Tanjore style painting from the late 19th century depicting the ten Sikh Gurus. Guru Nanak Dev is in the centre.
Born	15 April 1469 Nankana Sahib (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Died	22 September 1539 Kartarpur, (now in Pakistan)
Ethnicity	Punjabi
Parents	Father: Kalu Mehta Mother: Mata Tripta

Guru Nanak ^[1] (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; Hindi: गुरु नानक, Urdu: گرونانک [ˈɡʊɾu ˈnɑnək] Gurū Nānak) (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539 at Talwandi (present-day Pakistan)) was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.

Early life[link]

Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469,^[2] now celebrated as Prakash Divas of Guru Nanak Dev, into a Hindu Khatri family in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talwandī, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan.^[3] Today, his birthplace is marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan. Some are of the opinion that 20 October is his enlightenment day rather than his birthday. His father, Kalyan Chand Das Bedi, popularly shortened to Kalu Mehta,^[4] was the patwari (accountant) of crop revenue for the village of Talwandi in the employment of a Muslim landlord of that area, Rai Bular Bhatti.^[5] Guru Nanak’s mother was Tripta Devi and he had one elder sister, Bibi Nanaki who became a spiritual figure in her own right.

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Pakistan

Nanaki married Jai Ram and went to his town of Sultanpur, where he was the steward (modi) to Daulat Khan Lodi, the eventual governor of Lahore. Guru Nanak was attached to his older sister, and, in traditional Indian fashion, he followed her to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband. Guru Nanak also found work with Daulat Khan, when he was around 16 years old. This was a formative time for Guru Nanak, as the Puratan Janam Sakhi suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.^[6]

Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. At the age of five, Guru Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father, Kalu Mehta, enrolled him at the village school as was the custom.^[7] Notable lore recounts that as a child Guru Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet, which is an almost straight stroke in Persian or Arabic, resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God.^[8] Other childhood accounts refer to strange and miraculous events about Guru Nanak witnessed by Rai Bular such as a poisonous cobra being seen to shield the sleeping child’s head from the harsh sunlight.

Biographies[link]

The earliest biographical sources on the life of Guru Nanak recognised today are the Janamsākhīs (life accounts) and the vārs (expounding verses) of the scribe Bhai Gurdas. The most popular Janamsākhī were allegedly written by a close companion of the Guru, Bhai Bala.^[9] However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars such as Max Arthur Macauliffe certain that they were composed after his death.^[10]

Bhai Gurdas, a purported scribe of the Gurū Granth Sahib, also wrote about Guru Nanak’s life in his vārs. Although these too were compiled some time after Guru Nanak’s time, they are less detailed than the Janamsākhīs. The Janamsākhīs recount in minute detail the circumstances of the birth of the guru. The Janamsakhis state that at his birth an astrologer, who came to write his horoscope, insisted on seeing the child. On seeing the infant, he is said to have worshipped him with clasped hands and remarked that "I regret that I shall never live to see young Guru Nanak as an adult.” he is the only one in the world can give you anything which you ask with ≥{{}}

Sikhism and travels[link]

Rai Bular, the local landlord and Guru Nanak’s sister Bibi Nanaki were the first people who recognised divine qualities in the boy. They encouraged and supported him to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at around 1499, at the age of 30, he had a vision. After he failed to return from his ablutions, his clothes were found on the bank of a local stream called the Kali Bein. The townspeople assumed he had drowned in the river; Daulat Khan had the river dragged, but no body was found. Three days after disappearing, Guru Nanak reappeared, staying silent. The next day, he spoke to pronounce, "There is neither Hindu nor Mussulman (Muslim) so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God's path. God is neither Hindu nor Mussulman and the path which I follow is God's."^[6] Guru Nanak said that he had been taken to God's court. There, he was offered a cup filled with amrit (nectar) and given the command "This is the cup of the adoration of God's name. Drink it. I am with you. I bless you and raise you up. Whoever remembers you will enjoy my favour. Go, rejoice of my name and teach others to do so. I have bestowed the gift of my name upon you. Let this be your calling." From this point onwards, Nanak is described in accounts as a Guru, and Sikhism was born.^[11]

Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina on the Arabian Peninsula.^[12]

Guru Nanak crossed into Arunachal Pradesh and visited most of the part. First while going to Lhasa (Tibet) he passed through Tawang after crossing from Bhutan and entered Tibet from Samdurang Chu. He returned from Lhasa and went to the famous monastery Samye and entered Pemoshubu Menchukha in Arunachal Pradesh. He meditated for some time at this location. From Menchukha he went back to Tibet, brought the residents of Southern Tibet and got them settled in Menchukha. Thereafter through Gelling and Tuiting he proceeded to Saidya and Braham-Kund, before entering the state of Assam again. Guru Nanak is the founder of the Sikh religion.

Personal life[link]

Guru Nanak was married to Mata Sulakhni at about 16 years of age.^[6] His marriage to her took place in the town of Batala. The marriage party had come from the town of Sultanpur Lodhi. The couple had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand.

Succession[link]

Guru Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor Guru, renaming him as Guru Angad, meaning "one’s very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming Bhai Lehna as his succesor, Guru Nanak Dev died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur, at the age of 70.^[13]

Teachings[link]

Guru Nanak’s teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

From these some common principles seem discernible. Firstly a supreme Godhead who although incomprehensible, manifests in all major religions, the Singular "Doer" and formless. It is described as the indestructible (undying) form.

Guru Nanak describes the dangers of the Egotism (haumai- "I am") and calls upon devotees to engage in worship through the word of God (Naam, implies God, the Reality, mystical word or formula to recite or meditate upon (shabad in Gurbani), divine order (hukam) and at places divine teacher (guru) and guru’s instructions)^[14] and singing of God’s qualities, discarding doubt in the process. However, such worship must be selfless (sewa). The word of God, cleanses the individual to make such worship possible. This is related to the revelation that God is the Doer and without God there is no other. Guru Nanak warned against hypocrisy and falsehood saying that these are pervasive in humanity and that religious actions can also be in vain. It may also be said that ascetic practices are disfavoured by Guru Nanak who suggests remaining inwardly detached whilst living as a householder.

Through popular tradition, Guru Nanak’s teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:

• Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need
• Kirat Karō: Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud
• Naam Japna: Chanting the Holy Name and thus remembering God at all times (ceaseless devotion to God)

Guru Nanak put the greatest emphasis on the worship of the Word of God (Naam Japna).^[14] One should follow the direction of awakened individuals (Gurmukh or God willed) rather than the mind (state of Manmukh- being led by Self will)- the latter being perilous and leading only to frustration.

Reforms that occurred in the institution and both Godhead and Devotion, are seen as transcending any religious consideration or divide, as God is not separate from any individual.

See also[link]

• Life of Guru Nanak through Pictures

References[link]

External links[link]

• Guru Nanak Dev Ji
• First Sikh Guru Nanak Dev Ji
• Singh, Kirpal (First edition March 2004). "Janamsakhi Tradition - An Analaytical Study". globalsikhstudies.net. http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/pdf/janamsakhi.pdf. Retrieved 29 November 2010. 
• Guru Nanak by Jyotsna Kamat
• http://www.youtube.com/user/GAGANJAKHU#p/u/14/MdPutY2H3ko
• http://www.sikhnugget.com/2010/09/new-documentary-on-guru-nanak.html
• Shree Guru Nanak Dev Quotes in English and Hindi

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Full name	Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Born	(1951-02-19) February 19, 1951 (age 61)
Region	South Asia
School/tradition	Hanafi Qadiriyya Sufi
Main interests	Sufism, Islamic Philosophy, Hadith, Tafsir, Seerah, Tasawwuf, Politics[1]
Notable ideas	Fatwa on Terrorism, Concept of Jihad, interfaith dialogue
Influenced by Tahir Allauddin, Allama Iqbal, Shaykh ibn al-`Arabi, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki
Influenced Asad Muhammad Saeed as-Sagharji, Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikir

Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (in Punjabi and Urdu: محمد طاہر القادری) (born February 19, 1951, Jhang, Pakistan) is a Pakistani Sufi scholar^[2][3][4] and former professor of international constitutional law at the University of the Punjab.^[5] Qadri was recently described by the CNN-IBN as the 'International Peace Ambassador'.^[6] Qadri was nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize^[7]

Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, a broad-based global Sufi organization^[8] working in the fields of welfare, human rights and education. Its objectives are the promotion of a moderate and non-extremist vision of Islam, the establishment of good relations and understanding between communities and religions,^[9] and the education of youth through "employing the methods of Sufism".^[10] He also founded The Minhaj University of which he is the head of the Board of Governors, as well as an international relief charity, Minhaj Welfare Foundation.^[11]

Qadri was also the founding chairman of the political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), although he is no longer involved in politics. Qadri spoke at the World Economic Forum in January 2011.^[12]

Biography[link]

Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri is the son of Farid-ud-Din Qadri and his ancestors belong to the Punjabi Jat Sial family of Jhang near Sargodha. Qadri started his education at the Christian 'Sacred Heart School' in Jhang, where he learnt English and was exposed to Christianity at an early age. He was specifically taught Islamic education from the age of 12^[12] in al-Madina al-Munawwara^{[citation needed]}, Saudi Arabia^{[citation needed]} at the Madrasa al-‘Ulum al-Shar‘iyya^{[citation needed]}, which was situated in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the first residence of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad after his migration to Madinah.^[13] He learnt under Mawlana Diya' al-Din al-Madani (d. 1981, aged 107) and studied Hadith from Muhaddith al-Hijaz al-Sayyid ‘Alawi ibn ‘Abbas al-Maliki al-Makki (d. 1971).^{[citation needed]} Al-Shaykh al-Sayyid ‘Alawis son, the late muhaddith of al-Hijaz, al-Sayyid Muhammad ibn ‘Alawi al-Maliki al-Makki (d. 2004) who was the foremost Sunni authority of the Middle East^{[citation needed]} gave all of his fathers ijazas and isnads to Qadri in written form which he had previously received verbally, as well as his own chains.^[14] Qadri continued his quest for knowledge early in his life, making sama‘^[15] of Hadith from the then Muhaddith al-A‘zam of Pakistan, Sardar Ahmad al-Qadri (d. 1962).^[16]

Qadri has also learnt from a number of other prominent classical authorities in the Islamic sciences such as the following scholars:

• Abu al-Barakat Ahmad al-Qadri al-Alwari (d. 1978). One of the hadith narrators of the Sub-Continent, he is the son of Didar ‘Ali al-Shah al-Alwari (student of Ahmad ‘Ali al-Muhaddith al-Saharanpuri) and was a student of Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi. qadri studied under him for four years and was gifted all of the Shaykhs ijazas in Hadith and Fiqh in 1972.^[17]

• ‘Abd al-Rashid al-Ridwi (d. 2011). Qadri completed the classical Dars-e-Nizami course with him from 1963 to 1970 at Jami‘a Qutbiyya Ridwiyya, Jhang.^[18] Lessons were conducted from the predawn Tahajjud prayers at three o’clock in the early morning to eleven o’clock at night with pauses between noon and afternoon. No other student was taught while he was engaged in coaching Qadri. In 2007, he attended the birthday gathering of Qadri and whilst praising his talents and achievements, said:

• Tahir Allauddin al-Qadri al-Gilani (d. 1991). A well-known Sufi-saint became Qadri’s spiritual guide in the Qadiriyya Tariqa in 1966. He also bestowed him with all of his ijazas in Hadith.^[20] Tahir Allauddin opened The Minhaj University^[21] saying that anyone opposing the Minhaj-ul-Quran institute would have no relationship with the Qadiriyya movement and their deeds would not benefit Islam.

Ahmad al-Zubaydi (whose father’s standing was such that he was known as Abu Hanifa al-Saghir)^{[citation needed]} of Syria who is allegedly from the family of Imam al-A‘zam Abu Hanifa reports that he personally heard Tahir Allauddin al-Gilani referring to Tahir Qadri as “Mujaddid (Reviver of Islam)”.^[22]

• ‘Abd al-Ma‘bud al-Jilani (d. 1985) who had himself taken knowledge and training directly from many scholars and saints such as Imdadullah Muhajir Makki, Ahmad Rida Khan al-Barelwi, Qutb al-‘Arifin ‘Ali bin Sulayman ibn Mustafa’ al-Naqib al-Baghdadi, his father ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Mahd al-Naqib al-Baghdadi, al-‘Arif Billah al-Shah Muhammad Sulayman Tonswi (successor of Qutb al-‘Arifin al-Shaykh Nur Muhammad al-Muharwi) and Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi.^[17]

• Farid al-Din Qadri (d.1974), the father of Qadri was also a scholar^{[citation needed]} who had acquired knowledge from the centres of learning at al-Hijaz, Lucknow, Delhi, Hyderabad (India), Baghdad, Damascus among other places.^{[citation needed]} He gained knowledge from many of the leading scholars of his time such as al-Haram al-Makka ‘Alawi ibn ‘Abbas al-Maliki, Muhammad ‘Abd al-Shakur al-Muhajir al-Madani (student of Ahmad ‘Ali al-Muhaddith al-Saharanpuri and once teacher at Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband before leaving it for al-Madina al-Munawwara),^{[citation needed]} ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Ansari al-Laknawi, ‘Abd al-Baqi ibn ‘Ali Muhammad al-Ansari al-Muhaddith al-Laknawi (student of al-Imam Abu al-Hasanat ‘Abd al-Hayy ibn ‘Abd al-Halim al-Muhaddith al-Ansari al-Laknawi and many other great scholars), Muhammad al-Makki ibn Ja‘far al-Kattani and Muhammad Sardar Ahmad al-Qadri al-Chishti. He taught Qadri everyday from 1962 to 1970 and periodically from 1970 till 1974. This included the principles of Hadith, Fiqh, Tafsir, ‘Aqida, Tasawwuf, Nahw, Balagha, Logic, Philosophy and Arabic literature as well as many other traditional classical sciences. He awarded Qadri with the Dawra al-Hadith certification in 1970.^[17]

• Ahmad Saeed Kazmi (d. 1986). A famous authority of Pakistan who was known as the "Ghazali of his Time"^{[citation needed]} was a close friend of Qadri's father, Farid al-Din al-Qadri. Qadri studied under him at Jami‘a Islamiyya, Bahawalpur as well as in his own institution Anwar al-‘Ulum in Multan. These studies included Hadith, ‘Aqida, ‘Ilm al-Kalam and other classical sciences. Upon completion of his studies, a special certification, Sanad-e-Hadith was awarded in 1979.^[16]