MPW 1153MPW 1153Week 9: Islam and Sikhism

IntroductionIntroductionIslamSikhism

IslamIslam“Rise up and read…”

1. Islam and Human 1. Islam and Human DevelopmentDevelopmentLife begins at inception

◦120 days after fertilization God will send an angel to place a ‘roh’ in the embryo

◦The ‘roh’ (spirit) will determine the baby’s: Livelihood Deeds in life Death Suffering or happiness

Human beings originate from Adam

1. Islam and Human 1. Islam and Human Development (con’t)Development (con’t) After death, the ‘roh’ of a person lives on until

Judgment Day Priority is placed on the developmt of behavior,

individuality, character and r’ship w God Obj and direction of human growth: education,

character training and in building a harmonius r’ship w God

Final obj for a virtuous Muslim is to goto Heaven The human body and ‘roh’ have separate needs:

food, shelter; moral achievements Three factors that influence human

development:◦ Natural factor determined by Character◦ Environment◦ Human ability

2. Human Beings from an 2. Human Beings from an Islamic PerspectiveIslamic PerspectiveMan does not emerge from a material

process but is made by Allah and possesses two elements (roh and body). Man is a spiritual and physical creatures

Man is created to serve Allah and be faithful towards Him◦ Entrusted w the duties of a Calph to

administer the world according to the law of Allah

Man is subject to two opposing tendencies- one which leans towards the angel and the other to the devil.

Because man possesses freewill, his fate is in his hands

3. Man as a Caliph3. Man as a CaliphMan is more noble than all other creatures,

including angelsMan is representative of Allah in upholding

truth and peace and eliminating disobedience and distractions to achieve al-falah

As a caliph, man should display his natural attributes within him, thru knowing and believing in Allah

This faith in Allah will be ingrained in man, making him truly a caliph and subsequently developing values of truth, goodness, beauty, and justice in all his actions.

4. Islamic Holy Books4. Islamic Holy BooksThe Koran

◦Contains messages revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad in the Arabic language by Angel Gabriel

◦The Prophet memorized each verse◦Revelation was a gradual process which

lasted 23 yearsThe Hadis (Hadith)

◦Record of words, actions, behavior, and character of the Prophet

◦ Important elements

5. Aspects of Islamic 5. Aspects of Islamic TeachingTeachingEncompasses

◦Aqidah (Faith) Allah’s power is absolute Man must believe and worship Allah

◦ Ibadah (devotion) Limited to those practicing the 5 pillars Wider view than just 5 pillars, including society Any action that reflects the feeling of self-

submission and obedience to and worship of Allah◦Akhlak (morals)

A person’s faith, confidence, trust Actions that are customary, does not require

much thought

5. Aspects of Islamic 5. Aspects of Islamic TeachingTeaching

6. The Concept of 6. The Concept of IbadahIbadah (Devotion)(Devotion)Encompasses understanding of the

ONENESS or UNITY of Allah (Tauhid) Originated from aqidah (Faith)

◦ Which believes in: Allah Qadak and Qadar (Taqdeer) Holy Books The Prophets The Hereafter Angels

6. The Concept of 6. The Concept of IbadahIbadah (Devotion) (con’t)(Devotion) (con’t)

Tauhid Uluhiah Tauhid Rububiyah

Man: God:i) Has certain inclinations

i) Has choice and protection

ii) Requires aid ii) Fulfils all requirements and gives help

iii) Has yearning and dislikes separation

iii) To assemble

iv) Servitude iv) Leader and Master

v) Requires protection

v) Selector and Master

7. Islamic Moral Values 7. Islamic Moral Values ((akhlakakhlak))Only the Koran must be yardstick to gauge

Islamic moral values (only source)Mission of the Prophet is to guide mankind

towards laudable moral values◦ “And thou (standest) on an exalted

standard of character.” Surah al-Qalam 68:4

Belief in qada and qadar, sin and merit (pahala), rewards and punishment in the hereafter.

The kind of behavior recommended is faithful, God-fearing, virtuous, sincere, patient, trustworthy, holy, just, helpful, forgiving, generous.

9. Important Terms in Islamic 9. Important Terms in Islamic BehaviorBehavior

Term Meaning Meaning of term +ve actions -ve actions

Islam -Genuine - Submission

-Acknwldgs 1ness of Allah- Bow to Allah

Believe in Allah, be devoted, give tithe

Believe in other gods; do not follow teaching

Taqwa - Protect- Preserve

- Protect or preserve oneself from evil

Holy, virtuous Lying, cheating, betraying trust, slandering, killing, committing adultery

Iman -Trust -Believe in Allah-Bow to him-Faithful

- Follow the six principles of iman- Recite syahada

-Disobey commands-Does not pray-Does not perform haj

Ihsan -Suitable- Beautiful- Something gd

-Beautify behavior w complete faith- Beautify behavior thru justice

Love Allah, control attitude and personal actions

Fast seriously

- Do not love Allah-Does not control personal behavior- Does not fast

StrengthsComprehensive system of Law

that covers all aspects of life (jurisprudence). A ‘way of life’ not merely a set of beliefs

Encourages worship of ONE GODCombines intellectual and

spiritual aspects of humanityEncourages learning and

scholarship

WeaknessesDoes not tolerate criticism/dissentThe Prophet married a girl under 16

◦Yet held as a supreme moral exampleMohammad said ‘do not teach women writing, teach them spinning and the sura al-nur.’ Discrimination against women

Set of laws to obey, not well known for its mercy (only justice)

SikhismSikhism

Background to the Sikh Background to the Sikh ReligionReligionFounded by Guru Nanak I (1469-1539)Succeeded by a group of 10 TeachersTeachings put together in a Holy Book called

◦ Guru Granth Sahib JiThere is only one God who is absoluteLife in this world has no beginning and no

end (Hinduism), no limit or boundary, cannot be analysed by ordinary human thoughts

Formation was influenced by Islam and Hinduism, practiced in Northern India

Basic TeachingsBasic TeachingsSikh Teachers stressed that all

mankind are God’s creation and ought to be faithful to their respective ways of life

A child at birth is not yet a Khalsa, even though parents are Sikhs, only after understanding rules and regulations◦ And receives sugar water (Amrit) ◦ Understand and conform to the laws of the

Sikh religion

Laws of the Sikh ReligionLaws of the Sikh ReligionThere is only one Almighty God. There are

ten Teachers, from Guru Nanak to Gobind Singh

Always read or listen to the words of Guru Granth Sahib Ji to perform religious service

Abolish feelings about castes, stop worshipping idols and other practices opposed to Sikhism

Respect all creatures without questioning religion, race or a person’s skin colour

Train to control yourself and promise to wear the FIVE SYMBOLS of the Sikhs which all bear the letter K:

The Five K’sThe Five K’sKesh (uncut hair)Kanggha (comb)Kashehra (white shorts)Kirpan (Sword/dagger)Kara (Steel bangle won on the

waist)◦Once a person has practised the

discipline of the Khalsa community he should apply to receive the Amrit from the Five Religious Members (Panj Piare)

The Ten TeachersThe Ten Teachers1. Guru Nanak 1 (Nanak Dev)

• Was sent to the mosque to learn abt Islam• Later learnt abt Hinduism• Felt dissatisfied w the followers of these religions

because they did not practise what they ought to• Claimed the ppl professed the respective religions

physically, but spiritually they deviated from the teachings

• Became a wanderer and befriended a Muslim named Mardana. Befriended a Hindu called Bala. Concluded that all religions are good; it was only followers who did not conform

• Based teaching on LOVE: if you want God to love you, you must first love one another. To be near God, Guru Nanak taught followers to recite or sing praises to God so that they gradually learnt to be humble

• Did not encourage the people to embrace his religion

The Ten Teachers (con’t)The Ten Teachers (con’t)Whether a person is good or bad is not

caused by factors like race, religion, skin colour or body size, but by what that person does.

Guru Nanak was a man of gentle disposition.

Taught that laziness and begging for alms were degrading ways of life

During the time of the tenth Teacher Guru Gobind Singh, Khalsa Community came into being

Sikh IdentitySikh IdentitySikh means ‘learner’ or

‘follower’ in Punjabi

Important Matters in Sikh Important Matters in Sikh ReligionReligion1. The God that is worshipped

◦ Name: Wahiguru (God the Amazing)◦ Opposed worship of idols◦ Anti animism◦ “Only our hearts need to be made special for

religion.”◦ No to predetermined fate, but believes in karma

and reincarnation◦ Simran (constantly remembering God’s name-

Wahiguru) and good behaviour can a person leave the cycle of reincarnation

◦ Spend much time reading and singing the words of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji and reciting the name of Wahiguru to cleanse their thoughts and hearts

Important Matters (con’t)Important Matters (con’t)2. Status of the Teacher in Sikhism

◦ Their Teacher guides guide them along the right path

◦ After their deaths, the Holy Book and the Khalsa community took over

◦ The ten Sikh teachers are not regarded as descended from God

◦ The Holy Book is not worshipped, Sikhs only worship God

◦ Their priests are not given high status in the religion or community, but only respected for their knowledge

◦ Task of making decisions relating to their religion or community is delegated to a five-member Khalsa committee called Panj Piare.

3. The Holy Book◦ Contains all sayings of the first five

Teachers, the ninth as well as some Islamic and Hindu scholars

◦ Placed on a table in the Gurdwara. When approaching the Holy Book, a person must show respect by prostrating on the floor.

4. Gurdwara- House of worship◦The word means ‘teacher’s

archway’. Holy Book is kept here◦A centre of Sikh religion and

community◦Always open to the public without

regard to rank or religious affiliation◦Anyone wishing to enter the

Gurdwara must take off their shoes and cover their head

5. Sikh religious festivals◦Most important: Vasakhi Day (13

April each year)◦Commemorates establishment of the

Khalsa community by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699

◦Birthday of Guru Nanak, Katak Puranmashi day is also celebrated

6. Society◦Society has a special status and

there is no place for the CASTE SYSTEM

◦All members of the Sikh community are advised to follow all societal rules and regulations

7. Peaceful and Aggressive Ways◦Places more importance on peaceful

than on aggressive ways◦Sikhs are also taught to be brave◦“When all means have been

attempted, it is valid to seek the truth with the sword.” Guru Nanak 10. a Sikh is required to be prepared to defend his religion and his homeland

Teaching of Sikhism based on Teaching of Sikhism based on the Holy Bookthe Holy BookIn the real world, thinking of human

beings is always narrow and limited (houmai or egoistic)

Morally, man should open up his mind so that he can adapt himself to conditions around him This will make him think more widely and wisely

And then can act more JUSTLY and MODERATELY (sachiara)

It is important and moral for an individual to distance himself from houmai and try to acquire sachiara

How to attain How to attain SachiaraSachiara Dharam Khand: be prepared to bring change and

progress to oneself through sacrifice and social duties

Gian khand: Look for knowledge by equipping oneself with wisdom

Saram khand: Look for harmony and tranquility in oneself, appreciate the beauty of nature, and of self

Karam khand: Become altruistic, ie. Improve yourself internally, reject houmai and move towards sachiara level which ignores self-importance, but always fulfils social and moral obligations

Sach khand: Strive to attain the highest level- unite wisdom and self-virtue (karkar), value consciousness (vekhe) and internal happiness (nihala) in oneself

These areas help an individual abandon houmai for sachiara◦ Training in these aspects aims at building

individuals who are well-balanced spiritually, physically and emotionally

Reject five negative aspects:◦ Kam: Desire◦ Lobh: Greed or covetousness◦ Moh: Believe in or worship something that

is false◦ Krodh: Anger◦ Ahankar: Arrogance, conceit

StrengthsWorship of the ONE GODAgainst discrimination of Caste

SystemDoes not overvalue role of the

Priest/TeacherEmphasis on identity and communityAttempt at addressing the Human

Condition in the pursuit of Sachiara but through human effort

WeaknessesThose who do not go through amrit

are excluded from the Khalsa community and its benefits?

Why is there still the possibility of violence in the religion?

The way to Sachiara is dependant on the self. Can mankind really save itself?

Not well received by some cultures (have to grow beard… >.<)

ConclusionIslam is a religion of justice and seeks to

incorporate religious teachings into all aspects of life. But certain actions of its leader are questionable

Sikhism celebrates the book and the community, but is closely linked with a race, therefore can only provide an alternative to the quest to resolve the Human Condition

Justice in its extreme form (deontological ethics) can be too rigid and uncompromising.