Islam and Sikhism - Misplaced Pages

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Sikhism arose in a climate that was heavily influenced by Sufism and the Sant Mat traditions. Guru Nanak was thoroughly conversant in not only the Hindu texts, but also the Koran. The Guru Granth Sahib contains the teachings, philosophies and beliefs of Islamic saints. The first Guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was deeply influenced by the teachings Shaikh Ibrahim Farid a descendant of the renowned Sufi saint Shaikh Fariduddin Shakarganj of Pak Pattan whose works were integrated into the Guru Granth Sahib. Sikh religious philosophy shares some and rejects other Islamic religious philosophy. Some have also noted that Sikhism "must be a strange sect of Islam where the word ‘Mohammed’ does not occur even once in the writings of its founder, Nanak.”

Historical Persecution by Muslims

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Persecution by Jehangir

Main article: Martyrdom of Guru Arjan

Historically, the Sikh Khalsa Panth militarized largely out of necessity to form a political and military bloc against the aggression of the Islamic Mughal Empire against Punjab.

After the death of Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1605, his son Jahagir became the Emperor of the Mughals. Unlike his father, Jahagir was a fundamentalist Muslim, obsessed into turning the country into an Islamic state. The Muslims, concerned with the rapid increase in the popularity of Guru Arjan Dev, moved the new head of state Emperor Jahangir against the Guru. Jahangir himself was also jealous about Guru's propagation of Sikhism. He promptly obliged the enemies of the Sikh Guru. Many allegations were levelled against the Guru, one of those was helping the rebellious Khusrau, who was Jahangir's son and determined to rule Punjab.

This is what Emperor Jahangir wrote in his diary called the "Tuzuk-i-Jahagiri", which translates to "Memoirs of Jahangir"

"In Gobindwal, which is on the river Biyãh (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjun,’ in the garments of sainthood and sanctity, so much so that he had captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus, and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru, and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.

In Late May 1606, Guru Arjan Dev was arrested and brought to Lahore where he was subject to severe torture. He was made to sit on a burning hot plate while hot sand was poured over his head and body. It is said that Mian Mir (a Muslim Sufi Saint and friend of the Guru) tried to intercede on behalf of the Guru but he forbade him to interfere in the "Will of the Almighty". The Gurus body was blistered and burnt. For several days, the Guru was subjected to torture. Subsequently, Guru Arjan Dev was taken for a bath in the river, Ravi. As thousands watched he entered the river never to be seen again. Thus Guru Sahib embraced martyrdom on Jeth Sudi 4th (1st Harh) Samvat 1663, (May 16, 1606).

Persecution by Aurangzeb

Main article: Aurangzeb § Defiance_of_the_Sikhs_and_the_rise_of_the_Khalsa

Early in the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's, various insurgent groups of Sikhs engaged Mughal troops in increasingly bloody battles. In 1670, the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur encamped in Delhi, receiving large numbers of followers. Aurangzeb regarded this popularity as a potential threat, and determined to subdue it. But Mughal skirmishes with the increasingly militant Sikhs continued.

Sikhs and Kashmiri Pandits recount that in 1675 a group of Kashmiri Brahmins, who were of the Hindu faith, were being pressured by Muslim authorities to convert to Islam and approached Guru Tegh Bahadur with their dilemma. To demonstrate a spirit of unity and tolerance, the Guru agreed to help the brahmins: He told them to inform Aurangzeb that the brahmins would convert only if Guru Tegh Bahadur himself was converted.

His response led to his death. The Guru and his diciples were tortured by various methods, boiled alive, burned alive, sawn in half and scalped. Needless to say, Aurangzeb decided to try more brutal methods to force Tegh Bahadur Sahib to accept Islam. He was kept in chains and imprisoned for three days in an iron cage designed to be shorter than the prisoner's height, with sharp spikes pointing inwards, so that the victim could neither stand, nor sit, nor lean against the walls of the cage. His execution infuriated the Sikhs. In response, his son and successor, Guru Gobind Singh further militarized his followers.

Aurangzeb installed his son Bahadur Shah as governor of the northwest territories, including Sikh-controlled parts of Punjab. The new governor relaxed enforcement of Aurangzeb's edicts, and an uneasy peace ensued. However, Guru Gobind Singh had determined that the Sikhs should actively prepare to defend their territories and their faith. In 1699 he established the Khalsa a Sikh order of "saint-soldiers", ready to die for their cause.

This development alarmed not only the Mughals, but the nearby Rajputs. In a temporary alliance, both groups attacked Guru Gobind Singh and his followers. The united Mughal and Rajput armies laid siege to the fort at Anandpur Sahib. Although they faced certain death, the Sikhs refused to surrender. 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. Unconfirmed by scholars, this account of the promise is unlikely; however, seeing the suffering of his followers, Guru Gobind Singh Ji had made plans to sneak away. It is reported that in the absence of any formal surrender by the Sikhs, as they abandoned the fort under the cover of darkness, the Mughals were alerted and enagaged the battle to ensue again.

The Mughals, although suffering some mighty losses, apparently killed all four of Guru Gobind Singh's sons and decimated much of the Sikh army. Only Guru Gobind Singh and forty brave Sikhs escaped. Guru Gobind Singh in response sent Aurangzeb an eloquent yet defiant letter entitled the Zafarnama (Notification of Victory), accusing the emperor of treachery, and claiming a moral victory.

On receipt of this letter, Aurangzeb is said to have invited Guru Gobind Singh to meet in Ahmednagar, but Aurangzeb died before Guru Gobind Singh arrived.

Further clashes with the Mughals

The eighteenth century, saw the evolution of various Khalsa groups which fought the Mughals and Afghans for most of the century. These were the Bandai Sikhs, the Tat Khalsa and the Akalis. The Tat Khalsa of Mata Sundari ( The widow of Guru Gobind Singh widow) represented the orthodox Sikhs of the Khalsa who disagreed with some of the reforms proposed by Banda Singh Bahadur - a Sikh favoured by Guru Gobind Singh. Yet this group is not given an entry because they are not markedly different from the Khalsa Singhs (hence their dotted block). At this time Muslim persecution increased and the Sikh faith was outlawed by Govenor Abdus Samad Khan; the penalty of being a Sikh that did not convert to Islam, was death. This made some Sikhs revert to anonymity by adopting a Hindu appearance; and it drove others, especially the Khalsa, into the forests on horseback - where they regrouped and prepared for war. These army groups grew and developed and were known as Misls. By the end of the century, the Khalsa Panth, under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was victorious against the Mughals and Punjab was freed of the Islamic Empire. This period is regarded as vital to the history of Sikhism.

Contemporary persecution by Muslims