Guru Granth Sahib

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi (Gurmukhi): ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, pronounced [ɡʊɾu ɡɾəntʰ sɑhɪb]) is the central religious text of Sikhism, considered by Sikhs to be the final, sovereign and everlasting Guru following the lineage of the 10 Gurus (Prophet-Masters) of the religion. A text of 1430 Angs (pages), composed poetically to various classical Ragas, it consists of Baani (spiritual revelations) describing the qualities of God and the necessity for meditation on God's nām (holy name) as a means to harness God-like qualities, leading to a reunion with the creator. Described as a "universal revelation", a text that speaks to the "hearts and searching minds of persons belonging to any religion or of none", and a text that affirms the "essential unity of science and religion", the Guru Granth Sahib is universally regarded by Sikhs as having have been revealed directly from the divine, an aspect that has been attested to by the Sikh Gurus themselves in many of their verses.

Unique amongst the world's major religious scriptures, while compiling the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus incorporated not only their own writings, but also included the writings of other contemporary Saints from Hinduism and Islam (including Saints who belonged to the lowest strata of untouchables in the Hindu Caste System) who believed in the unity of God and denounced superstition and caste. The Guru Granth Sahib was also composed and compiled by the Sikh Gurus themselves, rather than being compiled by their adherents and followers, an aspect that has been highlighted by historian-scholars while discussing the authenticity of the preachings of the different Prophets of the world, as known to mankind today.

Zakir Naik

Zakir Naik (born 18 October 1965 in Mumbai, India) is an Indian Islamic preacher, who has been called an "authority on comparative religion", "perhaps the most influential Salafi ideologue in India", and "the world's leading Salafi evangelist". He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), and founder of the "comparative religion" Peace TV channel, through which he reaches a reported 100 million viewers. Unlike many Islamic preachers, his lectures are colloquial, given in English not Urdu or Arabic, and he wears a suit and tie rather than traditional garb.

Before becoming a public speaker, he trained as a medical doctor. He has published booklet versions of lectures on Islam and comparative religion. Although he has publicly disclaimed sectarianism in Islam, he is regarded by some as an exponent of the Salafi ideology, and, by some, as a radical Islamic televangelist propagating Wahhabism.

Biography

Zakir Naik was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He attended Kishinchand Chellaram College and studied medicine at Topiwala National Medical College and Nair Hospital and later the University of Mumbai, where he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS).