Hinduism, Sufism and Sikhism

Due to the confused nature of statements from a minority of people in this forum about the historical connections between Sufism and Sikhism, I attach for everyone's consideration, the following article, obtained from the internet, for deeper consideration and reflection. Readers are warned in advance not to assume that this article is advocating the supremacy of one religion over and above another, but, is instead, identifying the profundity of the underlying similarities:

THE SIKH AND THE SUFI

In the latter part of the fourteen century, a great movement came into existence in India. It was a movement that later made the political achievements of Akbar possible. This political upheaval was preceded by a wave of religious revival, headed in the north of India by such immortal saints as Kabir and Nanak. National movements always seem to arise out of some such religious revival. Kabir was a Muslim, Nanak was a Hindu; but Nanak was claimed by the Muslims as their leader, being called by them Nanak Shah; and Kabir is claimed by the Hindus as one of their great teachers, his chief Gadi being in holy Benares. This was a movement that was intended to unite Hindu and Muslim; and the two great masters, Kabir and Nanak, typified in themselves this ideal of unity. About the same period there came, with liberalising forces, a movement that afterwards went by the name of the Sufi Movement.The religion of Sindh is Sikhism and Sufism. The Hindus in Sindh are chiefly Sikh, the followers of the teaching of Nanak. Guru Nanak himself visited the north of Sindh. The Sikhs of Sindh are chiefly Hindu Sikhs, and have very little in common with the Punjabi Singhs.Sikhism found a strong foothold in Sindh, perhaps because of the Buddhist influence there; the Sikhism of Guru Nanak contains in itself the original spirit of Hinduism, minus all the accretions of latter-day Brahmanism. So Sikhism has given back to the Sindhi the spirit of the old religion which he had lost to some extent owing to the causes mentioned above. But the influence of Sufism in Sindh both on the Hindus and Muslims has been tremendous. Many of the great original Islamic families in Sindh accepted Sufism. Shah Latif, the greatest poet and mystic of Sindh, was a Kureshi of the family of the Prophet, and a lineal descendant of the Mughal House of Herat near Afghanistan. Sachal, the next great poet and mystic of Sindh, belonged to the House of Khalif [Caliph] Umar, whose very near descendant, Shahabuddin, came with the Arabs and became the ruler of Sehwan. These great families have been the real repositories of the best that is in Islam; they have kept intact its culture. Sufism is the mysticism of Islam; and Ali, the lion of God and son-in-law of the Prophet, is said to have been the first initiator and organiser of the mystic school of the Sufis; but later on the Sufi Movement took on special colour as in Persia.The great Sufis of Persia, the immortal Rumi, Jami, Hafiz and many other resplendent mystic lights, have shed their effulgent and glorious spiritual rays on Inida; to this day they are the beloved teachers of Muslims as well as of Hindus. Sindh has had a full share of this bread of life from the Persian Sufis. Afghanistan also claims to be the birth-place of one of the greatest of Sufis, Senai, whose influence even to this day is not insignificant. When Sufism as such first came into India cannot be ascertained. Of course the spirit and teaching of Sufism are completely found in the Vedanta, and in the latter-day saints of India; but the comparatively fresher flowers from Persia added a charm, a beauty, a fragrance, that enriched the mystic treasure. The Sufis of Sindh are peculiar in the sense that the garment of their mysticism is neither specially Islamic nor Persian, but it contains in its warp and woof the threads of both the Indo-Aryan Sanatana Dharma and the Arabic-Persian mystic culture.In fact there is hardly a country in the whole of Asia, including India, in which the mystic thought of two great civilisations, the Indian and the Arabic-Iranian, is seen in so beautiful a union as in Sindh. There is a good deal of Sufism in the Punjab, and Punjab too has had some very great Sufis, such as Bulashah and Mian Bahu; but many of the Sufis of Punjab were in close touch with Sindh, as till comparatively lately Multan was a part of Sindh, whose boundaries extended even as far as Cashmere (Kashmir). The Punjab has even nowmany Sufis, but Sindh being singularly free from religious orthodoxyhas absorbed more of Sufism than Punjab where, on account of different political conditions, social and religious restrictions are more manifest than in Sindh.In Sindh at the present moment [ca. 1924], there are numerous Hindus and amongst them some of the best brains of Sindh, old and new, whoare Sufis by religion. In fact, throughout Sindh, the Hindu Amils are attached to the chief centres of the Sufis, and are the main supporters and advisers of the holders of the Gadi ['keepers of theflame']. This Hindu-Muslim union is a marvellous phenomenon in Sindh. This does not mean that there are no political dissensions in Sindh between the Hindu and Muslim, and that religious bigotry is altogether absent in Hindus and Muslims. As a matter of fact there has been enough of it, and it still exists in many forms and is bound to exist in some form or another while the present political policy, that divides race from race, religion from religion, caste from caste, Hindu from Hindu, Muslim from Muslim, exists.Of course these conditions are not due only to the present political policy; it is in a good measure due to other, deeper, causes that exist in human nature; and also to the very fact of the variety of religion and sects. But in Sindh, owing to its history and other causes, there is less of religious bigotry; and the experiment of the union of religions is to some degree successful and can be witnessed with the physical eye, not merely in the imagination.If one goes round to the various important centres of the Sufis, especially on the chief days of celebrations, he will be agreeably surprised to see the marriage of Islam with the older Religion. It is the fundmental basis of Sufism that the Truth is one. As the Koran says: 'There is nothing new that I give unto you, what I give is as old as the ages.' Thus while the Islam of the Arab is old as the hills, as they say, the religion of the Hindu is old as the snows of the Himalayas - even older. Sufism found a congenial soil in Sindh, and seems to have spread into every nook and corner.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hinduism/15086-hinduism-sufism-and-sikhism.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=15086

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There is no comparision to sikhism, Sikhism is unique.

You cannot compare them with sufism, islam or hinduism. Anyway the article you posted is just conceptions of a historian, and is not accurate. I had to stop after reading "Kabir was a Muslim, Nanak was a Hindu."

Respected Nadeem Ji,

not trying to bring up any controversy- but trying to clarify why our Guru Sahibaan have been friends with all different kinds of Saints and we have Hymns from all different kind of Bhagats in Dhan Dhan Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.



Dhan Dhan Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is a collection of Dhur Ki Bani(written by those people who were Truly Realized Souls). It includes not only the Real Saints of that time but even before-like Baba Farid, NaamDev, Bhagat Trilochan and more.

Our Guru Sahibaan believe that Saadh Sangat(Company of the Holy) is very helpful in Spiritual advancement. Sangat can be done by being physically present in the Saint's Company and listen to the preaching or can be done by reading the preaching. Because the Fruit of the endeavor lies in following the teachings, not just listening or reading. So They Blessed the Sikhs with a lot of Holy Company by accumulating all the Hymns of all these Saint Souls. There was never a purpose to make Sikhs-HinduSikhs or MuslimSikhs. Sikh is a Sikh.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=15086

And Sikhi is a Spiritual way of life. A lifestyle that brings in Spiritual elevation by all means.

Spiritual Wisdom is not bound to any language, time and space.

Does not matter where one was born and lived, Sikh, a True Sikh must lead the life under God's Command. And for Sikhs-God is All and All is God. God is within and without. This mixing of other cultural tastes, similarities and dissimilarities with other Religions cannot take the True Essence away from any True Seeker, be it a Sikh or a Hindu or anyone. We respect all Real and True Saints, Scriptures and Spiritual Writings. Anything that can make our belief more strong, but nothing that is trying to shake our faith...... We also help others by sharing our beliefs.

Anybody wants to be a Christian(sometimes due to family obligations) but want to follow teachings of Dhan Dhan Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, can do this, but it cannot be said that now Sikhs are ChristianSikhs. This person is doing this because it is hard for him/her to understand the word of God through Bible.

Some people take what ever is convenient for them from all beliefs available, does not matter to them even if it is coming from a cult- and are trying to attain Spiritual Wisdom, Does Not Work That Way.

Hard Work is the Key(Living the Truth Truthfully), Does Not Matter What Path You Follow, but has to be a True path......
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=15086




forgive me please

Sat Sri Akal Surinder Ji,

Many Thanks for your very kind words. I completely agree that Sikhism is unique. Each religion must premise itself on its own uniqueness otherwise it could not persist. In fact, it is my view that Sikhism is that Divine Ocean where the pure waters of both Sufi Islam and Hinduism converge - so, in a sense, Sikhs enjoy a very special place in terms of being the active recipients of two very powerful traditions. It was providential that Islam and Hinduism met on Indian soil and permitted Sikhism to benefit so directly from both. Many Thanks, Nadeem.

Except the last line, everything was right.

It was Allah's blessings to both hindus and muslims, that they both got benefitted from the teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib ji. All Glory to Guru Nanak Sahib ji, who saved the drowning hindus and muslims of that time.

Vaapaaraa,

what was wrong with the last line? Should I change it?

Yes change it, You are saying sikhism benefitted from islam and hinduism. Which is totally out of place.

Dear Vaapaaraa,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=15086

How should I put it? That Sikhism DID NOT benefit from both traditions?

Respected Nadeem Ji,


Thanks for the response.

The time Sikh Dharam is formed into an organized Religion, Hindu religion was facing all these kurehtaan, Muslims were against Sikh Gurus, Hindu rajas were against them, Nobody was liking their way of life-

As
they started respecting women,
they believed in inner cleansing of the Soul other than outer rituals,
they were protecting poor and untouchables,
considering all equal
and for many many more reasons......

can you give me any points of similarity on the traditions of Sikhs with Hindus and Muslims, just for knowledge sake...



Forgive me please