Sikh FAQ
Scriptures
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Compiled in the year 1603 by the fifth Guru, Arjan, the Adi Granth ("First Book", also known as the Guru Granth Sahib) is the principle collection of Sikh scriptures. Arjan included in this both his own writings and the ideas of the four previous Gurus, along with other material he considered important. Despite the diversity of authors, there is a consistent message that a person should work to attain spiritual liberation through belief and contemplation in the divine Name.
Altogether, the Adi Granth consists of 5,894 hymns, all arranged according to the musical measure in which they are sung. Curiously, 937 of the songs and poems were composed by well-known bhakti saints who were not part of the Sikh tradition, including the North Indian saint Kabir and five Muslim devotees. In the Guru Granth Sahib, all the Hindu names as well as "Allah" is used when referring to God. Thus it can be seen that from the very beginning, Sikhism was construed as an inclusive faith which tried to encompass and enrich other Indian religious traditions.
Although the material in the Adi Granth is treated as divinely inspired, it is not believed to be the actual words of God. The Adi Granth is unusual in that it not only contains texts written by the Sikh Gurus, but it also contains material from two other religious faiths: Hinduism and Islam.
The Adi Granth is regarded so highly that extreme measures are taken to ensure that it stays holy. It is not permitted to be translated because any translation would necessarily compromise some of its meaning. This can cause problems because the Adi Granth is written in Punjabi, a language which is not easy to understand and which many young Sikhs in the West have little contact with. Some would like to see the Adi Granth translated into English in order to ensure that young Sikh do not drift away from the faith of their ancestors, an argument which will likely grow in strength as time passes.
The Adi Granth is the focus of worship services, held at gurdwaras ("gates to the gurus"). A granthi leads the service reads from the Adi Granth and Sikhs who sit in its presence must remove their shoes and cover their heads out of respect. The granthi who reads from the Adi Granth is not considered a religious leader so much as simply someone in the community who has a greater understanding of the text.
Sikhs may have a copy of the Adi Granth in their homes, but the book must have its own room. Like at a gurdwara, the book must be kept on a pedestal of pillows and it is not unusual for a Sikh to read from the text every day.
There are a couple of other important Sikh texts, none of which are considered sacred literature and none of which receive anything close to the level of devotion accorded to the Adi Granth. One is the Dasam Granth ("the book of the Tenth Guru"), regarded by most Sikhs as a creation of Guru Gobind Singh. Scholars, however, argue that most of it was actually written by others who were close to his court around the end of the 17th century.
The third important text among Sikhs is the Janam Sakhis ("life stories"), a collection of writings which celebrate the life of Guru Nanak. They were mostly written around the mid-17th century and they portray Nanak as the greatest of all teachers and spiritual leaders.
There is also the Sikh Rahit Maryada ("Sikh code of conduct"), a work created in the mid-20th century by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee out of earlier works which described the proper ways for the Sikh faithful to act in relation to each other and to God.
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