Page 120 - Islam and Far Eastern Religions

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Guru Nanak worked for many years under Muslim leaders where
he had the opportunity of getting to know Islam intimately. He met
many Islamic scholars and learned from their views and eventually, he

formulated a new culture in his own mind by fusing certain elements of
the Hindu faith with some of the core principles of Islam. His school of
thought found many followers over time and Sikhism was thus born.
Sikhs are concentrated in Pencab, North-western India. According
to a population count conducted in 1995, they number 18.7 million peo-
ple, 1.9% of India’s total population. They live also as small minorities in
Britain, Canada, USA, Malaysia and East Africa.
Sikhism acknowledges true Islamic principles such as the unity of
Allah, and that He created the whole universe from nothingness, that all
people are equal and that together, they form the human brotherhood.
Sikhs reject the caste system and idolatry but believe in reincarnation, kar-
ma and nirvana, aspects taken over from the false religion of Hinduism.
Many Hindu traditions, festivals and rituals are practiced by Sikhs too.
Superstitious karma and reincar-
Guru Nanak nation are prominent features of
added such su-
Sikhism, and it is believed that the
perstitious
Hindu traditions nine gurus who succeeded
as reincarnation
Guru Nanak each carried the
and karma his
soul of his predecessor. This
newly invented
faith. system of succession ended
th
with the 10 guru Gobind
(1675-1708). However
the ten gurus are
deeply revered by
the Sikh commu-