Sikh Religion and Islam A Comparative Study G. S. Sidhu M.A. Gurmukh Singh Published by: - © Copyright: G. S. Sidhu and Gurmukh Singh No. of Copies: Year Printer: ii INDEX ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS BOOK ........................................ 1 MAIN ABBREVIATIONS:........................................................................... 1 SOURCES AND QUOTATIONS .................................................................. 1 QUOTATIONS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES ........................................... 2 SIKH SOURCES ..................................................................................... 2 ISLAMIC SOURCES ................................................................................. 2 FOREWORD .................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................. 5 CHAPTER 1 ..................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 6 1.1 THE NEED FOR RELIGION ........................................................ 6 1.2 THE NEED FOR THIS STUDY ..................................................... 7 1.3 SIKHISM AND ISLAM: INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS ................... 11 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................... 14 APPROACHES .............................................................................. 14 2.1 SIKHISM ............................................................................... 14 2.2 ISLAM .................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................... 18 SIMILARITIES ................................................................................ 18 3.1 IMPEDIMENTS ....................................................................... 18 3.2 GOD IS NEAR ....................................................................... 18 3.3 GOD IS ONE ......................................................................... 19 3.4 GOD IS NOT BORN ................................................................ 19 3.5 GOD IS ALL KNOWING ........................................................... 19 3.6 AS YOU SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP ........................................ 20 3.7 SUBMISSION TO GOD ............................................................ 20 3.8 TEST OF FAITH ..................................................................... 21 3.9 REVERENTIAL STATUS: HOLY QURAN HOLY GRANTH SAHIB .. 21 3.10.1 Islam: Sura Al- Fatihah ............................................... 23 3.10.2 Sikhism: Mool Mantar ................................................. 23 3.11 PRAISE OF GOD ................................................................... 23 3.12 INTOXICANTS ....................................................................... 24 3.13 FAMILY LIFE; MONASTICISM .................................................. 24 3.14 NEED FOR A PRECEPTOR ...................................................... 24 3.15 SETTLING DISPUTES AND MAKING DECISIONS ......................... 25 3.16 CHARITY; DASWANDH/ZAKAT ................................................ 26 3.17 SLANDER ............................................................................. 27 3.18 CASTE SYSTEM .................................................................... 27 3.19 PRIESTHOOD ....................................................................... 28 3.20 BEST RELIGION .................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................... 29 SCRIPTURES ................................................................................ 29 i 4.1 GURU GRANTH SAHIB .......................................................... 29 4.1.1 Dasam Granth ............................................................ 33 4.2 THE HOLY QURAN ................................................................ 33 4.2.1 Hadis (Plural Ahadis) .................................................. 37 4.3 PILLARS OF SIKHISM ............................................................. 38 4.4 PILLARS OF ISLAM ................................................................ 38 CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................... 39 GOD, PRAYERS AND CREATION ................................................ 39 5.1 GOD IN SIKHISM ................................................................... 39 5.2 GOD IN ISLAM ...................................................................... 41 5.3 PRAYER IN SIKHISM .............................................................. 42 5.3.1 Prayer in Islam ............................................................ 44 5.4 CREATION ACCORDING TO SIKHISM ....................................... 45 5.4.1 Creation according to Islam ........................................ 46 CHAPTER 6 ................................................................................... 47 SACRED PLACES; PILGRIMAGE; RITUALS AND SACRIFICE ... 47 6.1 SACRED PLACES OF THE SIKHS ............................................. 47 6.2 SACRED PLACES OF ISLAM .................................................... 49 6.3 SIKH PLACES OF WORSHIP .................................................... 50 6.3.1 Muslim places of worship ........................................... 51 6.4 PILGRIMAGE IN SIKHISM ........................................................ 52 6.4.1 Pilgrimage in Islam ..................................................... 53 6.5 SACRIFICE: SIKHISM AND ISLAM ............................................ 54 CHAPTER 7 ................................................................................... 57 GOD’S MESSENGERS AND THEIR SECOND COMING ............. 57 7.1 GURU IN SIKHISM ................................................................. 57 7.2 NABI OR RASUL IN ISLAM ...................................................... 59 7.3 ANGELS IN SIKHISM .............................................................. 61 7.3.1 Angels in Islam ........................................................... 61 7.4 NO SECOND COMING OF THE GURU ...................................... 62 7.4.1 Second Coming of a Prophet ..................................... 62 CHAPTER 8 ................................................................................... 64 THE NATURE OF EVIL AND SIN .................................................. 64 8.1 EVIL IN SIKHISM ................................................................... 65 8.2 EVIL IN ISLAM ....................................................................... 67 8.3 SIN IN SIKHISM ..................................................................... 68 8.4 SIN IN ISLAM ........................................................................ 70 CHAPTER 9 ................................................................................... 72 GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE; PROPAGATION OF RELIGION AND APOSTASY .................................................................................... 72 9.1 SIKH VIEW OF CHOSEN PEOPLE ............................................. 72 9.2 ISLAMIC VIEW OF CHOSEN PEOPLE ......................................... 74 9.3 CONCEPT OF A STATE IN SIKHISM .......................................... 74 9.3.1 Concept of a Muslim State ......................................... 75 9.4 OTHER RELIGIONS: SIKH VIEW .............................................. 76 ii 9.4.1 Other religions: Islamic view ....................................... 76 9.5 RELIGIOUS WAR: SIKH VIEW .................................................. 77 9.5.1 Religious war: Islamic view ........................................ 80 9.6 APOSTASY: SIKH VIEW .......................................................... 81 9.6.1 Apostasy: Islamic view ............................................... 82 CHAPTER 10 ................................................................................. 84 DEATH. DOOMSDAY. HEAVEN AND HELL ................................. 84 10.1 BEYOND EMPIRICAL EXISTENCE ............................................. 84 10.2 DEATH: SIKH VIEW ............................................................... 85 10.2.1 Death: Islamic view .................................................... 86 10.3 DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD: SIKH VIEW ...................................... 87 10.3.1 Disposal of the dead: Islamic view ............................. 87 10.4 VISITING GRAVES OR TOMBS ETC.: SIKH VIEW ........................ 88 10.4.1 Visiting graves and tombs etc: Islamic view ............... 89 10.5 DOOMSDAY: SIKH VIEW ........................................................ 89 10.5.1 Doomsday: Islamic view ............................................. 91 10.6 HEAVEN AND HELL: SIKH VIEW .............................................. 92 10.6.1 Heaven and Hell: Islamic view .................................. 95 10.6.2 Hell (Dozakh) in Islam ................................................ 97 CHAPTER 11 ................................................................................. 98 ANGELS, JINNS, SPIRITS, MIRACLES, OMENS AND SPELLS .. 98 11.1 ANGELS, JINNS AND SPIRITS: SIKH VIEW ................................ 98 11.2 ANGELS, JINNS AND SPIRITS: ISLAMIC VIEW ........................... 99 11.3 MIRACLES AND SUPERNATURAL EVENTS: SIKH VIEW ............. 100 11.3.1 Miracles and supernatural events: