Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in the 15th Century in
the North of India that had already been politically integrated to
the organized world of Islam for almost 500 years. Arabic was
already the official and cultural language at Lahore, a place only a
few miles from the birth-place of the Sikh Prophet. Islam and its
culture, was not only the dominant strain of the world civilization
and culture of those days, but had also percolated into the common
idioms and modes of thought of the North-Western Punjab. It was in
this milieu that the ecumenical religion of Sikhism took birth.

Guru Nanak not only was in intimate contact with the Moslem learned
men and centers of religion of Islam of those days, but he also made
a close study of the basic Islamic literature. His knowledge of the
fundamental Hindu sacred texts now being revealed through a critical
study of the Sikh Scripture, is not only pleasantly surprising but
it also impresses. Needless to say that Guru Nanak was thoroughly
conversant with the texts and the teachings of the Koran. Since Guru
Nanak was a Prophet in his own right and according to his own claim,
he neither gives direct quotation nor makes precise references to
Hindu and Muslim texts, as a mere scholar would be expected to make,
and it is, therefore, only a trained scholar of Comparative Religion
who can spot out and pin-point the exact sacred texts which Guru
Nanak had in mind when delivering a particular Revelation.

When such a critical study of the Revelations of Guru Nanak is made,
there is left no doubt in the mind of a balanced scholar that even
when apparently affirming or repudiating a particular doctrine or
text, the Guru almost always amplifies his own statement by added
nuances of critical exposition. An appraisal of this character alone
can make it clear that Guru Nanak had a definite and positive
attitude towards the Koran....

Another grand verse, sura 24 in the Koran goes under the name of
mishkatul-anwar. The tabernacle. This is the text to which the
Mohamedan mystics and Sufis have returned again and again, never
tiring of the mysterious Lamp whose rays bathe the whole universe:

God is the Light of the heavens and earth.
The similitude of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp.
And the lamp is within a glass.
And the glass, as it were a pearly star.
This lamp is lit from a blessed tree.
An olive neither of the east nor of the west;
Almost this oil would shine though no fire touched it.
Light upon Light, God guideth whom He will to His Light,
And He speaketh in parables to men, for He knoweth all things.

Now, Guru Nanak has taken an unmistakable note of this text. Guru
Nanak was also familiar with certain Hindu sacred texts (Vaikunth,
and Dipaparijvalanam in the Guradudapauranam) that speak of the Lamp that guides men here and hereafter, Guru Nanak has revealed a text which not only takes note of all these Moslem and Hindu sacred texts but which constitutes the Guru's own disquisition on the Lamp that guides. Guru Nanak opens by declaring:

My Light is the Name of One and only God.
And its oil is the pain and suffering:
The former is consumed and the latter is then done away with.
And, lo! there is no-doing between I and Death.

A large number of similar texts in the Guru Granth, are, in this
manner, grounded in the Islamic and Hindu sacred texts but
invariably the former have the content and identity of their own.

This is true and correct relationship between Islam and Sikhism. As
for Guru Nanak's attitude towards the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, it
has to be a matter of inference, for, nowhere in the voluminous Guru
Granth, the name of the Moslem Prophet occurs, directly or
indirectly, though Koran is mentioned by name more than once.

Bhai Sahib Sirdar Kapur Singh

(The above is the late Bhai Sahib Sirdar Kapur Singh's response to
an enquiry from the Haji of Mosul (Iraq) first published in the
Missionary, January-March, 1963.)



———————

The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end.
Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same.
The One Divine Mother created the Three deities.
One, the Creator of the World (Shri Brahma); One, the Sustainer
(Shri Vishnu); And One, the Destroyer (Shri Shiva).
She makes things happen according to the Pleasure of His Will.
Such is Her Celestial Order.
She watches over all, but none see Her. How wonderful this is!
I bow to Her, I humbly bow.
The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end.
Throughout all the ages, She is One and the Same.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Jap Jee Sahib)


——————-

This Play of Yours entrances me.
Amongst all is the Light — You are that Light.
By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all.
Through the Guru's Teachings, the Light shines forth.
That which is pleasing to Him is the lamp-lit worship service.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Aasaa, First Mehl, p. 13.)


——————-

This mind, body and wealth were given by God,
who naturally adorns us.
He has blessed us with all our energy,
And infused His Infinite Light deep within us.
Forever and ever, meditate in remembrance on God;
Keep Him enshrined in your heart.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Siree Raag, Fifth Mehl, p. 47.)


———————-

The Lord is said to be the Highest of the High;
No one can perceive Him.
Wherever I look, I see only You.
The True Guru has inspired me to see You.
The Divine Light within is revealed, O Nanak,
through this intuitive understanding.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Siree Raag, First Mehl, p. 55.)


———————

The Perfect Guru has shown me that the Lord is always with me.
I am forever a sacrifice to the True Guru.
There is only one breath; all are made of the same clay;
The Light within all is the same.
The One Light pervades all the many and various beings.
This Light intermingles with them, but it is not diluted or obscured.
By Guru's Grace, I have come to see the One.
I am a sacrifice to the True Guru.
Servant Nanak speaks the Ambrosial Bani of the Word.
It is dear and pleasing to the minds of the Gursikhs.
The Guru, the Perfect True Guru, shares the Teachings.
The Guru, the True Guru, is Generous to all.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Seven Chau-padas of the Fourth Mehl, p. 96.)


——————-

I seek the Protection of Your Sanctuary;
You Yourself inspire us to understand the Truth.
Those who know the Truth are absorbed in Truth.
They sing the Lord's Glorious Praises, and speak the Truth.
O Nanak, those who are attuned to the Naam,
remain unattached and balanced;
In the home of the inner self,
They are absorbed in the primal trance of deep meditation.
One who dies in the Word of the Shabad is truly dead.
Death does not crush him, and pain does not afflict him.
His Light merges and is absorbed into the Light,
When he hears and merges in the Truth.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Maajh, Third Mehl, p. 111.)


———————

This body is the home of Dharma;
The Divine Light of the True Lord is within it.
Hidden within it are the jewels of mystery;
How rare is that Gurmukh, that selfless servant, who digs them out.
When someone realizes the All-pervading Soul,
Then he sees the One and Only Lord permeating through and through.
He sees the One, he believes in the One,
And with his ears, he listens only to the One.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Pauree, Fourth Mehl, p. 310.)


———————-

Through the True Guru, the Command of the Lord's Will is realized.
He enjoys true pleasure, and suffers no pain.
He enjoys the ambrosial wisdom, and the highest sublime essence.
He overcomes the five evil passions,
and becomes the happiest of all men.
Your Divine Light is contained in all; Everyone belongs to You.
You Yourself join and separate again.
Whatever the Creator does, comes to pass.
She demolishes, and She builds;
By His Order, She merges us into Himself.
Whatever is pleasing to Him/Her Will, happens.
Without the Guru, no one obtains the Perfect Lord.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Aaasaa, First Mehl, p. 414.)


———————-

The wandering soul, upon meeting the True Guru, opens the Tenth Gate.
There, Ambrosial Nectar is food, and the celestial music resounds;
The world is held spell-bound by the music of the Word.
The many strains of the unstruck melody resound there,
as one merges in Truth.
Thus says Nanak: by meeting the True Guru, the wandering soul
becomes steady,
And comes to dwell in the home of its own self.
O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light —
Recognize your own origin.
O my mind, the Dear Lord is with you;
Through the Guru's Teachings, enjoy His Love.
Acknowledge your origin, and then you shall know your Husband Lord,
And so understand death and birth.
By Guru's Grace, know the One; Then, you shall not love any other.
Peace comes to the mind, and gladness resounds;
Then, you shall be acclaimed. Thus says Nanak:
O my mind, you are the very image of the Luminous Lord;
Recognize the true origin of your self.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Aasaa Third Mehl, Chhant, Third House, p. 441.)


———————

Creating union and separation, She laid the foundations of the
Universe.
By His Command, the Lord of Light fashioned the Universe,
And infused His Divine Light into it.
From the Lord of Light, all light originates.
The True Guru proclaims the Word of the Shabad.
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, under the influence of the three
dispositions,
Were put to their tasks. She created the root of Maya,
And the peace obtained in the fourth state of consciousness.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Pauree, Third Mehl, p. 509.)


———————

Remembering Her in meditation, happiness comes,
And all sorrows and pains simply vanish.
She is without relatives, immaculate, all-powerful, unapproachable
and infinite.
Truly, the True Lord is seen to be the Truest of the True.
Nothing established by You appears to be false.
The Great Giver gives sustenance to all those She has created.
She has strung all on only one thread;
She has infused His Light in them.
By Her Will, some drown in the terrifying world-ocean,
And by Her Will, some are carried across.
O Dear Lord, he alone meditates on You,
Upon whose forehead such blessed destiny is inscribed.
Your condition and state cannot be known; I am a sacrifice to You.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Pauree, Fifth Mehl, p. 518.)


———————

Meeting the Divine True Guru, I merge into the sound current of the
Naad.
Where the dazzling white Light is seen,
There the unstruck sound current of the Shabad resounds.
One's light merges in the Light; by Guru's Grace, I know this.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Raag Sorath, p. 657.)


——————-

Chant His Praises, learn of the Lord, and serve the True Guru;
In this way, meditate on the Name of the Lord, Har, Har.
In the Court of the Lord, He shall be pleased with you,
And you shall not have to enter, the cycle of reincarnation again;
You shall merge in the Divine Light of the Lord, Har, Har, Har.
Chant the Name of the Lord, O my mind, and you shall be totally at
peace.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Dhanaasaree, Fourth Mehl, p. 669.)


———————

The Yogi, the Primal Lord, sits within the celestial sphere of
deepest Samaadhi.
He is not male, and He is not female; How can anyone describe?
The three worlds continue to center their attention on His Light.
The silent sages and the Yogic masters, seek the Sanctuary of the
True Lord.
The Lord is the source of bliss, the support of the helpless.
The Gurmukhs worship and contemplate the Celestial Lord.
God is the Lover of Her devotees, the Destroyer of fear.
Subduing ego, one meets the Lord, and places his feet on the Path.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Dhanaasaree, First Mehl, Ashtapadees, p. 685.)


———————

Through hypocrisy, devotional worship does not come,
And the Supreme Lord God is not found.
By stubborn-mindedly performing religious rituals,
No one obtains the approval of the Lord.
O Nanak, the Gurmukh understands himself, and eradicates self-
conceit from within.
He is the Supreme Lord God; The Supreme Lord God comes to dwell in
his mind.
Birth and death are erased, and His light blends with the Light.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Shalok, Third Mehl, p. 849.)


———————

within the pool of the body there is an incomparably beautiful lotus
flower.
within it, is the Supreme Light, the Supreme Soul, who has no
feature or form.
O my mind, vibrate, meditate on the Lord, and forsake your doubt.
The Lord is the Life of the World....
I have come to know my own self, and my light has merged in the
Light.
Says Kabeer, now I know the Lord of the Universe, and my mind is
satisfied.
When Your Lotus Feet dwell within one's heart,
Why should that person waver, O Divine Lord?

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Bilaaval, p. 857.)


————————-

The Creator created the entire universe,
and infused His Light into it.
The One Lord speaks, and the One Lord causes all to speak.
The Perfect Guru has revealed the One Lord.
The Lord is with you, inside and out; tell me,
O mind, how can You hide anything from Him?
Serve the Lord open-heartedly, and then, O my mind,
you shall find total peace.
Everything is under Her control; She is the greatest of all.
O my mind, meditate forever on Her.
O Servant Nanak, that Lord is always with you.
Meditate forever on your Lord, and She shall emancipate you....

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Gond, First Mehl, p. 861.)


———————-

In the midst of children and spouse, and utter corruption,
The True Guru has carried me across.
You Yourself take care of Your beings;
You Yourself attach them to the hem of Your robe.
I have built the boat of true Dharmic faith,
To cross over the terrifying world-ocean.
The Lord Master is unlimited and endless;
Nanak is a sacrifice, a sacrifice to Her.
Being of Immortal Manifestation, She is not born; She is self-
existent;
She is the Light in the darkness of Kali Yuga.
She is the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts, the Giver of souls;
Gazing upon Her, I am satisfied and fulfilled.
She is the One Universal Creator Lord, Immaculate and fearless;
She is permeating and pervading all the water and the land.
She blesses Her devotees with the Gift of devotional worship;
Nanak longs for the Lord, O my mother.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Raamkaalee, Fifth Mehl, Ashtapadee, p. 916.)


———————

O my body, the Lord infused His Light into you, and then you came
into the world.
The Lord infused His Light into you, and then you came into the
world.
The Lord Himself is your mother, and He Himself is your father;
He created the created beings, and revealed the world to them.
By Guru's Grace, some understand, and then it's a show;
It seems like just a show.
Says Nanak, He laid the foundation of the Universe, and infused His
Light,
And then you came into the world.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Raamkaalee, Third Mehl, Anand, p. 921.)


———————

She creates planets, solar systems and galaxies;
She destroys the three worlds, the three gods and the three
qualities.
The Inaccessible and Unfathomable Lord God, dwells in the heart.
No one can find the limits or the secrets of the Lord of the World.
The Lord shines forth in the plantain flower and the sunshine.
He dwells in the pollen of the lotus flower.
The Lord's secret is within the twelve petals of the heart-lotus.
The Supreme Lord, the Lord of Lakshmi dwells there.
She is like the sky, stretching across the lower, upper and middle
realms.
In the profoundly silent celestial realm, She radiates forth.
Neither the sun nor the moon are there,
But the Primal Immaculate Lord celebrates there.
Know that She is in the universe, and in the body as well.
Take your cleansing bath in the Mansarovar Lake.
Chant "Sohang" — "She is me."
She is not affected by either virtue or vice.
She is not affected by either high or low social class, sunshine or
shade.
She is in the Guru's Sanctuary, and nowhere else.
She is not diverted by diversions, comings or goings.
Remain intuitively absorbed in the celestial void.
One who knows the Lord in the mind — Whatever he says, comes to
pass.
One who firmly implants the Lord's Divine Light,
And Her Mantra within the mind — says Kabeer,
Such a mortal crosses over to the other side.
Millions of suns shine for Her, millions of Shivas and Kailash
mountains.
Millions of Durga goddesses massage Her Feet.
Millions of Brahmas chant the Vedas for Her.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Bhairao, Second House, p. 1162.)


———————

The body is a mansion, a temple, the home of the Lord;
He has infused His Infinite Light into it.
O Nanak, the Gurmukh is invited to the Mansion of the Lord's
Presence;
The Lord unites him in His Union.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
(Malaar, First Mehl, Second House, p. 1256.)


————————

The Lord's Name is the most sublime and precious merchandise.
The Primal Lord God is my Lord and Master.
The Lord has staged His Play, and He Himself permeates it.
The whole world deals in this merchandise.
Your Light is the light in all beings, O Creator.
All Your Expanse is True.
All those who meditate on You become prosperous; ...
O Lord, Life of the World, please bless me with Your Grace,
And lead me to meet the Guru, the Merciful True Guru.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Shalok, Fourth Mehl, p. 1314.)


"The godly light is exactly the beginning of parousia in holy souls"
"The Light is not more in Buddhas and not less in ordinary beings."
Mishkat al-anwar: We are two spirits dwelling in one body
"The discoverer of the Atman must also discover this inner Light"
Light Above Shakti