MPW 1153

1. MPW 1153 Week 9: Islam and Sikhism

2. Introduction Islam Sikhism

3. Islam “Rise up and read…”

4. 1. Islam and Human Development Life 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

5. 1. Islam and Human 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

6. 2. Human Beings from an Islamic Perspective Man 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

7. 3. Man as a Caliph Man is more noble than all other creatures, including angels Man 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.

8. 4. Islamic Holy Books The 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 years The Hadis (Hadith) Record of words, actions, behavior, and character of the Prophet Important elements Allah will protect the individual, family and the Islamic people if they are faithful, devout, virtuous and carry out His commands and vaoid all that is forbidden Allah will always give divine guidance and help to anyone who is faithful to Him Only to Allah should a person pray and only from Him should he request help Benefit or loss will not happen to a person other that which is ordained by Allah Muslims must always be thankful to Allah when they receive His bounty and be patient when tested by tribulationAllah will protect the individual, family and the Islamic people if they are faithful, devout, virtuous and carry out His commands and vaoid all that is forbidden Allah will always give divine guidance and help to anyone who is faithful to Him Only to Allah should a person pray and only from Him should he request help Benefit or loss will not happen to a person other that which is ordained by Allah Muslims must always be thankful to Allah when they receive His bounty and be patient when tested by tribulation

9. 5. Aspects of Islamic Teaching Encompasses 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

10. 5. Aspects of Islamic Teaching

11. 6. The Concept of Ibadah (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

12. 6. The Concept of Ibadah (Devotion) (con’t)

13. 7. Islamic Moral Values (akhlak)

14. 8. Examples of Islamic Morals

15. 9. Important Terms in Islamic Behavior

16. Strengths Comprehensive system of Law that covers all aspects of life (jurisprudence). A ‘way of life’ not merely a set of beliefs Encourages worship of ONE GOD Combines intellectual and spiritual aspects of humanity Encourages learning and scholarship

17. Weaknesses Does not tolerate criticism/dissent The Prophet married a girl under 16 Yet held as a supreme moral example Mohammad 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)

18. Sikhism

19. Background to the Sikh Religion Founded by Guru Nanak I (1469-1539) Succeeded by a group of 10 Teachers Teachings put together in a Holy Book called Guru Granth Sahib Ji There is only one God who is absolute Life 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

20. Basic Teachings Sikh 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

21. Laws of the Sikh Religion There 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:

22. The Five K’s Kesh (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)

23. The Ten Teachers 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

25. 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

26. Sikh Identity Sikh means ‘learner’ or ‘follower’ in Punjabi

27. Important Matters in Sikh Religion 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

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. Teaching of Sikhism based on the Holy Book In 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

35. How to attain Sachiara 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

36. 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

37. Strengths Worship of the ONE GOD Against discrimination of Caste System Does not overvalue role of the Priest/Teacher Emphasis on identity and community Attempt at addressing the Human Condition in the pursuit of Sachiara but through human effort

38. Weaknesses Those 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… >.<)

39. Conclusion Islam 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.