Distinguishing Friend from Foe

“Oh, brother Gamiya (Ghulam Muhammad), you have gained freedom, but we have become slaves forever and are ashamed before our elders.” This emotional scene from twenty years ago vividly reappeared before my eyes, bringing tears to everyone who witnessed it. The entire village watched as two old friends, Baba Ghulam Muhammad and Baba Harnam Singh, embraced each other, their white beards soaked with unstoppable tears. This was the first time these friends met since the creation of Pakistan. Baba Harnam Singh and Baba Ghulam Muhammad, in their old age, hugged each other as if they would merge into one. Despite the cruel forces separating this legacy of Muslim-Sikh friendship, no one anticipated that their love and affection would strengthen after five decades of separation.

The founder of the Sikh religion and its first Guru, Baba Nanak, was born on April 15, 1469, in the village of Bhoye Di Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib), located between Lahore and Sheikhupura. He was born into a Khatri Hindu family; his father, Kalyan Chand Das Bedi, known as Kalu Mehta, was a patwari (village accountant) under a local Muslim landlord, Rai Bular Bhatti. Every year in November, Sikhs celebrate his birth with “Akash Diwas” on the night of the full moon, and it was to participate in this celebration that a group of 60 Sikh families accompanied me to Pakistan. The warm welcome from both the government and the people at Lahore Airport deeply moved and surprised all the Sikh families.

Baba Guru Nanak spent his childhood at his sister’s in-laws’ home. His sister, Bebe Nanaki, was profoundly influenced by Baba Nanak’s religious inclinations, accepting him as her spiritual guide. From the age of five, Baba Nanak showed a deep interest in religious stories, and by the age of seven, his father enrolled him in traditional education. Due to his natural intelligence, he quickly surpassed his peers. At nine, he refused to wear the sacred thread (Janeu) during a religious ceremony, indicating an innate belief in monotheism. He mastered Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian, and assisted his brother-in-law, who worked for the governor of Lahore, in official matters.

Baba Nanak’s routine involved immersing himself in the cold water of a nearby stream before sunrise to praise the One God. According to Sikh traditions, in 1499, at the age of thirty, he took a deep plunge in the “Kali Bein” stream and disappeared for three days. His friends and a local diver named Daulat scoured the area but found no trace of him. Villagers believed he had drowned, but he suddenly returned home after three days and remained silent about his disappearance for a day. Upon insistence, he broke his silence, stating, “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim, so which path should I follow? I shall follow God’s path, who is neither Hindu nor Muslim.” He shared that he had been taken to the court of God, where he was given the nectar of God’s love and commanded to spread the message of monotheism. Consequently, he distributed all his possessions among the poor and, accompanied by his close Muslim friends, Bala the Minstrel and Mardana, embarked on a long journey to propagate his monotheistic beliefs.

During Baba Guru Nanak’s extensive travels (Udasis), which covered thousands of miles from Bengal to Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Tibet, and eventually to Baghdad, Mecca, and Medina, his mission was to spread the true message of monotheism. His final journey took him through Punjab, where he converted numerous followers from idolatry to monotheism, aided by Bala and Mardana, who conveyed his message through songs and music.

Baba Guru Nanak’s teachings emphasized abandoning falsehood, avoiding unnecessary religious rituals, living according to sacred texts, and accessing God without intermediaries. He also warned against five hidden dangers within humans: pride, anger, greed, undue desires, and lust. These principles of monotheism and the identification of the five vices clearly reflect the fundamental golden rules of Islam, which profoundly influenced Baba Guru Nanak and which he deemed essential for his followers.

Baba Guru Nanak constructed the entire edifice of Sikhism on three foundational pillars that reflect his love and similarity with the religion of Islam:

Naam Japna (Chanting the Name): This involves constantly remembering and chanting the name of God, keeping Him always present in mind and speech. The Quran commands believers, “O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance” (Al-Ahzab: 41).

Kirat Karni (Earning an Honest Living): This means earning a livelihood through honest hard work. The Quran emphasizes the importance of lawful sustenance: “O people, eat from what is on earth that is lawful and good” (Al-Baqarah: 168).

Vand Chakna (Sharing with Others): This principle involves sharing wealth and eating together. The Quran teaches the importance of charity: “Zakat (charity) is for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer it, and for those whose hearts need to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and for the (stranded) traveller. This is an obligation from Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise” (At-Tawbah: 60).

Thus, the three fundamental principles of Sikhism set by Baba Guru Nanak are derived from the teachings of the Quran.

Baba Guru Nanak was not only the founder of Sikhism but also a preacher of monotheism, mysticism, and spirituality. He was a contemporary of the great Muslim spiritual leader Hazrat Baba Farid Ganj Shakar. During his extensive preaching journeys, Baba Guru Nanak had numerous interactions and dialogues with eminent Muslim scholars and preachers. Historically, Sufi Muslim preachers have always provided free food to the poor at their schools and hospices, a tradition known as “Langar,” which continues to this day. After his long travels, Baba Guru Nanak founded the village of Kartarpur in 1522 (now in Pakistan, near the India-Pakistan border) where he initiated the practice of “Kirtan and Langar,” providing free food to the poor while promoting his beliefs. According to Sikh historians, Jahangir, during his princely days, dedicated this religious settlement to Guru Arjan Sahib. Guru Sahib also built a Dharamshala (religious rest house) there. According to renowned Sikh scholar Giani Gian Singh, the establishment of Kartarpur was inspired by a Muslim, Mir Azeem Khan, and Kartarpur became a sacred settlement in Punjab. Emperor Akbar had a special affection for Baba Guru Nanak, and he gifted all the land for Kartarpur.

Similarly, historical records mention that the area of Amritsar was given by the Mughal Emperor Akbar to the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, who founded the city of Ram das pur, later known as Amritsar. It is also said that in 1565, Akbar offered the area to Guru Amar das, and later in 1579 to Guru Ram Das, and again in 1606 to Guru Arjan Dev, but all three declined the offers. Historical records state that after Guru Amar das declined the land, Akbar gifted it to his daughter “Bibi Bhani” as a wedding present, leading to the establishment of Amritsar. Additionally, Akbar exempted all Sikh territories from taxes. The old names for Amritsar, such as Ram das pur, Guru Chak, and Ram Das Chak, were used. Before his death in Kartarpur (Pakistan) in 1539, Guru Nanak appointed Guru Angad Dev as the new Guru. After the third Guru, Amar das (1479–1574), the fourth Guru, Ram Das (1534–1581), initiated the repair of the old Amritsar pond and built a temple in its centre known as Darbar Sahib or Harmandir Sahib. Relations with the Mughal Empire remained favourable, and Ram das pur (Amritsar) enjoyed semi-autonomous status during the Mughal period.

The land for Darbar Sahib in Amritsar was also provided by Emperor Akbar. In 1589, the pious and famous saint Hazrat Mian Mir Sahib of Lahore laid the foundation stone. Guru Arjan Dev shared a special bond with Mian Mir, who, according to tradition, laid the foundation stone of Harmandir Sahib (referenced in January 1949 edition of Risalah Hanuyan Qimat). The land chosen for Harmandir Sahib was a gift from Emperor Akbar. According to the Indian National Congress (Amritsar, 1956), the foundation stone was laid by a pious Muslim. Another Sikh scholar notes that in 1923, during the cleaning of the tank, 200 esteemed Muslims from Maler Kotla, led by Nawab Sahib, participated in the service, carrying sacred mud to Amritsar (Khalsa Parliament Gazette, October 1956).

Later, during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s reign, the gilding of the Harmandir Sahib was carried out by a Muslim engineer, Mohammad Yar Khan. Renowned Sikh scholar Sardar Gurbaksh Singh Shamsher wrote about these historical connections, highlighting the deep-rooted and ongoing relationship between Sikhs and Muslims.

A Muslim saint, Haji Muhammad Miskeen, came to Amritsar drawn by the love of Baba Guru Nanak. On December 31, 1925, at two o’clock in the afternoon, he devotedly presented a very precious sandalwood fan to Bhai Hira Singh Ragi at the Darbar Sahib. This Muslim devotee had prepared the sandalwood fan over five years and seven months, consisting of 145,000 fine threads made from 9 maunds and 14 seers of sandalwood. Today, this fan is carefully preserved in the Jalu Khana. When the saint presented this fan, the Darbar Sahib honoured him with a valuable shawl worth one hundred pounds. (Reference: Amritsar Magazine, May 1938).

Regarding the sacred Sikh shrine Panja Sahib in Pakistan, a Sikh scholar, Gyani Gyan Singh, writes: “The pool at Panja Sahib was constructed by Khwaja Shamsuddin Sahib. The Gurdwara there was endowed with a vast estate by the famous Muslim Nawab Khan of Kalat.” (Reference: Gurudham Sangrah, p. 22).

Guru Gobind Singh had very friendly relations with contemporary Muslim leaders and commoners. Mir Game Shah, Mir Hassan Shah, Chaudhry Peer Ali, Balwant Khan, Chaudhry Phattu, Chaudhry Samo, and Jamal Khan were among his close friends and served him. Sikh historians have recorded that in Patna (Bihar), the local Qazis presented Guru Tegh Bahadur with a garden, now known as Guru Ka Bagh. In Bahadurgarh (Patiala), when Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed for several months, a Muslim named Ali Khan served him with great devotion and respect. The Nawab of Mathura presented Guru Gobind Singh with a garden, which is now known as Nazar Bagh.

Many Sikh historians, including another famous Sikh scholar Sardar Gyan Singh, write: “When the hill chieftains and Maharajas launched an offensive against Guru Gobind Singh, five hundred Udasi sadhus who were nurtured on Guru Sahib’s bread fled the battlefield. When Budhu Shah learned of this, he entered the battlefield with two thousand soldiers, and in this battle, Budhu Shah’s two sons were also martyred fighting for Guru Sahib, which resulted in Guru Gobind Singh having to leave Anandpur Sahib. He then went to the jungles of Machhiwara, disguised as a Muslim pilgrim. At this time, Ghani Khan and Nabi Khan first came forward to serve Guru Sahib, carried him on a palanquin, and took him to a safe place. In recognition of their service, Guru Sahib gave them an edict stating, ‘Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan are dearer to me than my own sons.'” This event is documented in various Sikh books, including “Gurpratap Suraj Granth,” “Zafar Nama Steek,” “Jeevan Katha,” and “Sikh Ethias” (Reference: Tawarikh Guru Khalsa Urdu, p. 158).

Sikh historians note that several Muslim commanders joined Guru Gobind Singh in battles against the hill chieftains and fought valiantly. These commanders included Yad Beg, Alaf Khan, Sayed Khan, Sayed Beg, and Maimun Khan.

Sikh historians claim that the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, presented Guru Gobind Singh with a revered and sacred sword of Islamic significance, which is still preserved at Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur. According to Sikh scholar Sardar Kahan Singh, this sword has “Kalma Sharif” inscribed on one side and “Nasr Min Allah wa Fath Qareeb” on the other. (Reference: Sant Pahi magazine, August 1951).

Muslims bestowed their most sacred and priceless possessions upon Guru Sahib, indicating the deep respect they had for him and the cordial relations between Muslims and Sikhs. The incidents mentioned above highlight the warm and friendly relations between Muslim rulers, nawabs, chiefs, saints, and Sufis with the Sikh Gurus. Not only did Muslim leaders maintain brotherly ties with the Gurus, but the Sikh Gurus also kept friendly and pleasant relations with Muslims. Guru Sahib built magnificent mosques at his own expense in Kartarpur, Hargobind pur, and Amritsar.

Baba Guru Nanak’s successor, Guru Angad, introduced the classical Punjabi language Gurmukhi script to spread his teachings. In 1551, Amar Das was selected as the third Guru. After his death in 1574, the fourth Guru, Ram Das, founded the town of Amritsar, for which Emperor Akbar not only covered the expenses but also dedicated 500 bighas of land. After Ram Das’s death in 1581, his son Guru Arjan succeeded him. Guru Arjan Dev compiled the Sikh holy book, “Guru Granth Sahib,” which includes the teachings of the first five Gurus (spanning 239 years from 1469 to 1708) written in the Gurmukhi script. This book contains 3,381 hymns and is nearly three times the size of the Hindu sacred text, “Rigveda.” It includes hymns by Baba Guru Nanak, Bhagat Kabir, and Baba Farid.

The “Guru Granth Sahib” is present in all Sikh religious places, Gurdwaras, and its contents are recited and sung to audiences during religious festivals. The Sikh concept of God as described in this book is precisely aligned with the teachings of the Quran. Today, Sikhs frequently use the prayer phrase “Sat Sri Akal” (True, Great God), which remarkably translates to “Allah Akbar.” The most prominent Sikh slogan, “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,” translates almost word for word to the famous Quranic verse, “Say, O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will” (Al-Imran: 26). Thus, the concept of God in both Islam and Sikhism is free from polytheism.

In the end, on Monday 22nd September 1539 AD (9th Jamadi al-Awwal 946 AH), in Kartarpur, the Sufi mystic Baba Guru Nanak, after bidding farewell to his thousands of followers, departed towards the same Lord of the universe whom he had preached about in the world. Hindu and Muslim communities in Kartarpur were divided over the final rites of his earthly remains. According to Baba’s instructions, it was decided that flowers should be placed around his earthly body. The next day, those whose flowers remained fresh would have the right to perform his last rites. When the sheet was removed the next day, the body was absent, and only fresh flowers surrounded it from all sides. Consequently, Hindus dedicated their share of flowers in fire, while Muslims buried theirs. Today, both places remain in Kartarpur.

Baba Guru Nanak had two sons, “Sri Chand” and “Lakhmi Chand,” from his revered wife Mata Sula khani. According to Sikh traditions, Sri Chand was a devout and ascetic man, known for his long beard and long hair. In Sikh religion teachings, our body is a temple of God (Allah, Bhagwan, whichever name of God you believe in), and we should keep it as such without any unnatural alterations. Due to this principle, adherents of Sikhism do not cut the hair of their bodies, while Lakhmi Chand married and also had two sons.

Baba Guru Nanak made immense efforts to foster interfaith harmony between Hindus and Muslims based on his teachings. However, the concept of monotheism inherently opposes idol-breaking, leading to the emergence of a new Sikh religion. For Muslims, Baba Guru Nanak’s teachings were certainly not new because they were the same teachings found in celestial scriptures, the Quran, and the blessed biography of the Seal of the Prophets ﷺ.

But what was the reason that turned the love and brotherly relations between Muslims and Sikhs, who strengthened each other so much by following Baba Guru Nanak’s teachings, into enmity and hatred? Has time uncovered all these conspiracies? What were the reasons that transformed Muslim-Sikh friendship and fraternal relations into animosity and hatred? Baba Guru Nanak’s love and respect for Muslims are evident from his final rites, which drew crowds. According to Baba’s instructions, fresh flowers that sprouted were buried, and to this day, this place serves as a focal point of harmony between Sikhs and Muslims.

Baba Guru Nanak’s fundamental teachings include the lesson of supporting the poor, needy, and weak, a lesson Islam also strongly advocates. When Baba Guru Nanak established Kartarpur as a means of his teachings and preaching, arrangements were made there for langar (community kitchen) for every rich and poor person, so that food and drink could be provided to the poor, needy, and destitute. Many such individuals resided there who, fed up with injustices in their regions, had come and settled there. The burden of protecting them was taken up by Baba Guru Nanak himself and his disciples. In this way, Baba Ji’s teachings spread far and wide, and his followers increased over time. Ultimately, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs chose five companions from the poor, and by choosing them, he bestowed upon them the title of “Panj Pyare” (five beloved ones), thus initiating a formal movement in the Sikh religion.

During that time, the Mughal government ruled India, and Aurangzeb was the ruler, and people of all religions were equally favoured at his court. However, when some Hindu officials saw a large number of Hindus converting to Sikhism, they started a deep conspiracy and began inciting Aurangzeb against them, saying that the Sikhs were plotting to overthrow the Mughal government. Hindus were successful in their conspiracy because during those days, Aurangzeb’s brother, Dara Shikoh, had fled and taken refuge among the Sikhs, so they took advantage of this opportunity and prepared Aurangzeb against the Sikhs. The Sikhs believed that protecting these poor people against injustices was synonymous with obeying Baba Guru Nanak’s command. This is why during the Mughal era, war against Sikhs was by no means a religious war. If this had been the case, there would not have been a large number of Muslims in the Sikh armies who, out of love for Guru Nanak, not only sacrificed themselves but also showed great courage in sacrificing their lives on the battlefield, which is still cherished with great respect in their history.

Ultimately, this Muslim-Sikh alliance, which was the common legacy of Baba Guru Nanak’s love, succeeded in ruling Punjab under Ranjit Singh, and history bears witness that Ranjit Singh entrusted all the important posts in his court to Muslims and for many years, Muslims It was a period of peace and order on the basis of loyalty and love, which Sikhs still remember with great pride. History is a witness that the same Hindu elements who instigated Aurangzeb against the Sikhs, later colluded with the British to bring down the East India Company and later succeeded in ending the Mughal rule from India and gained access to the court of the British. Behind Ranjit Singh’s successful rule in the Punjab was a powerful spirit of common heritage of Sikh-Muslim unity, and the British were aware that these two nations were warring in the region and had not succeeded so far. As long as no hatred and enmity is created between these two nations, which will start a bloody war between these two nations, which will not only make them thirsty for each other’s blood, but will always be enmity and hatred forever. Such a wall should be built so that they can never have such an ideal unity in this region.

The joint conspiracies of the Brahmins and the British eventually led to the movement of all Hindus who joined them as Sikhs during the Mughal rule and distorted history by comparing the imperial war to a religious war between the Sikhs and the Muslims. Succeeded, which led to a fire of hatred which eventually burnt Ranjit Singh’s Muslim-Sikh alliance in Punjab to ashes and the British had no difficulty in capturing the Punjab. Individually, later Sikhs and Muslims became wary of each other, but the British always followed the policy of “divide and rule” to rule the region.

I always succeeded in keeping the Sikhs and Muslims at a political distance. This is the reason why when the sun of Great Britain was setting in India, Quaid-e-Azam who was aware of the teachings of Baba Guru Nanak and the history of common heritage of Muslims and Sikhs, he informed the leader of Sikhs, Master Tara Singh, not only about the mentality and conspiracies of Hindus. Rather, the Sikhs of Pakistan were assured of complete religious freedom and all basic and equal rights, but Master Tara Singh lost this golden opportunity for the freedom of the Sikhs due to his cover vision, which even the libertarian Sikh nation today takes from its heart. She thinks that the big culprits are those whose ill-advised decision threw them in front of the merciless Brahmin wolves.

On the occasion of the establishment of Pakistan, Aiyar Brahmin, under a deep conspiracy, heated up such a market for massacre of Muslims in East Punjab by Sikhs, desecration of Muslim women and looting, killing and looting in helpless caravans that some Even some emotional Muslims at places could not control their reaction. The far-reaching conspiracy of the Brahmins was successful so that these two nations continued to burn in the fire of hatred and revenge against each other even though they lived on a common border. Was this massacre in accordance with the teachings of Baba Guru Nanak or the Sikh Gurus who came after him or where was it allowed in Islam? Contrary to what the Sikhs killed the Muslim train cars to please the Hindu nation. What kind of reward did this Hindu nation give to the Sikhs who killed and sent bloody boxes full of dead bodies to Pakistan? In Pakistan, all the sacred places of Sikhs are safe, while the late Indira Gandhi destroyed the sanctity of the Sikh Darbar sahib in Amritsar by the Indian Army. and time confirmed the wise decision of Quaid-A-Azam.

Baba Guru Nanak’s bright teachings were further strengthened when the red bear of Russia suddenly committed its unholy aggression on Afghanistan, as a result of which, while 3 million Afghan refugees were embraced by the Pakistani nation, around 35,000 Afghan Sikhs were also embraced. Pakistani Muslims put their heads on the ground and history proved the truth of these Islamic teachings of Baba Guru Nanak, “Common heritage of Muslim-Sikh unity”. Even today, the Muslims of Pakistan maintain the same attitude of kindness towards the Sikhs for which Baba Guru Nanak worked tirelessly. See the reward and decision of nature that not only the birthplace and final resting place of Baba Guru Nanak, but also most of the religious places of Sikhs are located in the land of Pakistan, for which thousands of Sikhs come every year as guests to the land of the beloved country, but also flow from East Punjab. The water flow of all the rivers is towards Pakistan, which is giving a lesson to Sikhs and Muslims to embrace each other with love and affection, to distinguish between their common friend and enemy.

Pakistan is the only country where Sikhism and its followers are viewed with the highest respect. The Government of Pakistan has played an important role in the maintenance of Sikh religious places. On the 130th birth anniversary of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the cadets of Kakul Academy took over the duties of guards at the shrine, for the first time among them. Six women were accompanied by a Sikh cadet. The birthday of the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is celebrated every year on December 25. It was the first time in the country’s history that female cadets or a Sikh cadet offered a salute at the shrine of Quaid-e-Azam.

I have not been able to forget even one memorable sentence that came out of Baba Harnam Singh’s yearning and trembling lips, which he said while giving an interview to the correspondent of Lahore BBC:

“This is the same Lahore station when the train stopped here in 1947, I was saying why the train stopped here and I was praying for my fear to leave as soon as possible and today I am praying that this train Stop here forever, and life ends here.”

Tuesday 2nd July 2024