Pakistan welcomes Sikh pilgrims

[ghazi52]

Pakistan welcomes Sikh pilgrims

ISLAMABAD: on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) Pakistan also welcomed Sikh pilgrims from all over the world for the 549 birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib.

Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that only our mission in New Delhi has issued more than 3500 visas to Sikh pilgrims to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib from 21 to 30 November 2018.


Dr Mohammad Faisal@DrMFaisal
On #Eidmiladunnabi Pakistan also welcomes Sikh pilgrims from all over the world, (only our mission in New Delhi has issued more than 3500 visas) for the 549 birth anniversary celebrations of #BabaGuruNanak in #Nankanasahib from 21-30 November 2018 (1/2)


The spokesman further said, "As a progressive, moderate Islamic state we proudly follow the Islamic principles which taught respect for all religions way before the human rights charter came into existence."

 

[ghazi52]

 

[Samurai_assassin]

What's the point, many still consider Pakistan as a hostile enemy state.

 

[HalfMoon]

Ignoring the Sikh-Islam history of friendship, Pakistan bans Muslims from gurdwaras

Hindus and Christians can enter shrines at Nankana Sahib, but a security protocol keeps Muslims out.

The Gurdwara Janamasthan at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. | Wikipedia Commons
Haroon Khalid

On the occasion of the 548th Nanak Gurpurab earlier this month, Siddiq-ul-Farooq, the chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, the government organisation responsible for looking after non-Muslim property in Pakistan, announced the opening of the Gurdwara Kiara Singh in Nankana Sahib to Sikh pilgrims. This is one of the five gurdwaras in the city in Punjab province that is associated with Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and commemorates the spot where the guru’s buffaloes are believed to have entered someone else’s fields. That person complained to the ruler of the town but an enquiry found that the fields were miraculously undamaged. The government now plans to place the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, at this gurdwara, which means that there would be prayers every day and not just on festivals, as was the case.

The opening up of this gurdwara is part of the government’s larger agenda of renovating and opening Sikh shrines to pilgrims. At the start of this year, it had reopened a historical gurdwara in Peshawar that had been shut since Partition.

There is at least one police official posted at the entrance of each of these renovated gurdwaras who monitors the flow of devotees. Sikhs, Hindus and even Christians are allowed but never Muslims, except with special permission. This policy is strictly maintained at the time of festivals such as Nanak Gurpurab and Baisakhi, when thousands of Sikh pilgrims converge. This exception is explained as a security protocol. A few times, when I didn’t have my press card, I was barred from entering a gurdwara.

Traditional gurdwaras have four entrances. I was told by my Sikh friends at Nankana Sahib that these symbolically represent the entrance points of four different religions. The concept being that a gurdwara is the abode of God and no one can be denied entry. In fact, there is a popular story connected with this dating back to Baba Bulleh Shah, the rebellious 18th-century mystic poet from Kasur. The story goes that he was once being chased by a Muslim mob he had offended when he entered a gurdwara in a village close to Kasur city. The mob demanded that the Sikh authorities turn Bulleh Shah away but they refused, saying he was protected in the house of God. Eventually, the mob went away.

However, that is not how Pakistani authorities view religion or religious shrines today. The syncretism that the traditional Sikh architecture of a gurdwara, or the story of Bulleh Shah, represents has no space in Pakistan. It goes against the very essence of its perceived identity. A product of compartmentalisation of religion, premised upon exclusive religious identity, there is no space for fluid religious boundaries in this environment. The Pakistani officials who draft such policies have been conditioned to view religion in this exclusionary manner. For them, it would be inconceivable for a Pakistani Muslim to be a devotee of Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Intertwined heritage
Such an understanding lacks historical context, as all of these Sikh gurus had Muslim as well as Hindu devotees. For example, Nanak is believed to have had a Hindu and a Muslim devotee by the names of Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana, respectively. It is said that both of them asked Nanak what religion they should follow to become his devotees. He told them that if they were Hindu, then they should become good Hindus, and if they were Muslim, then they should become good Muslims, and that’s how they would become his devotees. Nanak is believed to have said that whoever was willing to learn (Sikh means learn in Punjabi) could become his devotee. Hence, it was possible for a Muslim or a Hindu to be a Sikh. There are thousands of Nanak-Panthi Hindus all over Sindh who have maintained a distinct Hindu identity and worship Hindu deities while also being devotees of Guru Nanak.

The Guru Granth Sahib, regarded as a living saint by Khalsa Sikhs, is another testimony to the unique syncretism that is part of Sikhism’s religious heritage. Along with containing the poetry of Guru Nanak, Angad Dev, Amar Das, Ram Das, Arjan and Tegh Bahadur, it also contains the poetry of Muslim saints, including Bhai Mardana, Baba Farid, Satta, Balwand, Bhagat Bhikhan and Bhagat Kabir.

The story of the friendship between Guru Arjan and Mian Mir, the Sufi saint from Lahore, is also well documented. According to legend, Arjan invited Mian Mir to Amritsar to lay the foundation brick for the Harmandir Sahib. At the time, Arjan was being tortured by cronies of emperor Jahangir and Mian Mir is believed to have offered to destroy the Mughal empire, an offer the guru turned down.

Inside the Gurdwara Janamasthan, the grandest of the gurdwaras at Nankana Sahib, there is a picture of Baba Farid at the entrance, followed by a picture of Guru Nanak. For several years, Sikh pilgrims have been urging the Pakistan government to give them special visas to attend the annual urs celebration of Baba Farid at Pakpattan.

At Kartarpur Sahib, the final resting place of Nanak, hundreds of Muslim devotees continue to come and pay homage to the guru, a saint they regard as their own. Similarly, if the gurdwaras of Nankana Sahib are opened to Muslim devotees, I have no doubt that many of them would visit these shrines.

The Pakistani state, however, is oblivious to these intertwined histories and traditions of Sikhism and Islam. For its officials, these nuances that have for generations shaped the relationship between the two communities no longer exist. They continue to bar Muslims from entering Sikh gurdwaras but would they ever be able to remove the influence of Baba Farid, Bhai Mardana, Mian Mir and other Muslim saints on the Sikh religion?

Haroon Khalid is the author of the books Walking with Nanak, In Search of Shiva and A White Trail.

https://scroll.in/article/822343/ig...iendship-pakistan-bans-muslims-from-gurdwaras

 

[HalfMoon]

What's the point, many still consider Pakistan as a hostile enemy state.

It all started with this.

Guru Teg Bahadur Gives His Head
India had come to very dark times. The rulers were taxing, converting and killing the people....


19:10 minutes (26.58 MB)
Download audio file
Login to Like this Story
Download, print and color these drawings:






India had come to very dark times. The emperor was a cruel man who killed his older brother so he could rule. He was unkind to his own children and starved his father to death. He did everything for the sake of power. He was a very feared ruler by his subjects and did not have any love for people of other religions. Even most Muslims didn't like him. He asked his advisors,

"What do I have to do to gain the trust of my fellow Muslims? I will do whatever it takes."

He was advised,

"Sire, there is only one way to gain the trust of all Muslims...That is by converting Hindus to become Muslim. Destroy Hinduism from the root. The center for Hindu priests is in the land of Kashmir. Convert them first. Once they are Muslim all others will follow."

Aurangzeb issued orders to give offerings to his holy city to show how religious he was. He ordered all the musical instruments destroyed.

“May MUSIC never be heard again!!"

He introduced a tax for all non-muslims.
“Collect the holy tax from all non-believer infidels!"

He also made orders to convert Hindus to Islam.
“If a man converts to our religion give him money, if a woman converts, give her half as much money."

He offered position, land and money to anyone who converted.
"I will be famous in history! A great servant of God! Sher Afghan Khan, you are my governor in Kashmir. The great task is on you!"

Sher Afghan Khan was extremely cruel and merciless. He have the Hindu's two choices: Either they change their religion... or they die. Many, many Hindus refused to convert and they were killed. Fear spread all over India like a dark cloud....

One pundit prayed from the bottom of his heart,
"Holy gods and goddesses, I am being forced to turn against you or, or I will be killed. I shall not betray my faith in you. What can I do? I am your child. Save me, save us all from this oppression."

He had a vision. ...a heavenly voice spoke to him, it said,

"The gods and goddesses can not help. Guru Nanak is the spiritual king in this dark age; The 9th Guru is now seated on his throne. Go to him He will protect your religion and your honor."

So he and all the other Pundits journeyed to Anandpur to meet Siri Guru Teg Bahadur ji! Guru ji kindly welcomed them to the house of the Guru. They looked sad. They told him of the horrible things that were happening,
“Temples are being destroyed, even Gurduaras are being destroyed. They have collected a huge pile of Sacred Hindu Threads from those who've been killed or converted. Who knows how many of us have been killed. We have done nothing to deserve this! If we do not convert, we will die too. But how can we give up our faith?? We have come to you for help! Save us from this tragedy... this DESPAIR!!”

Guru ji felt how these kind-hearted men were so sad. He felt what a difficult situation they were in. Just then the Guru’s son walked in.
"Hahahaha!"

Gobind Rai was about 8 years old. He saw all of this sadness. He hugged his father and asked,
“Pita ji, why are these kind men so sad??”

Guru ji answered, "My beloved son, the emperor is forcing them to give up their religion, under threat of death. There is no end to their misery.”

“Gobind Rai asked, "What is the solution?" And his father answered, “These rulers, they are acting like animals, their hearts are frozen. They need to be softened; their hearts need to be warmed... What is needed is the sacrifice of a holy soul.”

“Innocent Gobind Rai said to his Guru-father, "Dear Pita ji, in this dark age, who is more holy than you? Go and offer yourself! Save them!”

Guru Teg Bahadur knew what needed to happen and he welcomed it as God’s Will. Guru ji had a message sent to the emperor:
Kirpa Ram: “Ahem..Emperor Aurangzeb... The 9th Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur is now seated on the throne of the Great Baba Nanak. He is our leader now! and he has a message for you. If you can convince the Guru to join your religion then all of his Sikhs will convert. All us Hindus will convert as well.”
Aurangzeb was happy to hear this,
“All the Sikhs and Hindu’s are going to convert!! It's like a dream come true! Eehehehahahaha.... Ahem, God is great.”
Guru ji was summoned to Dehli... and on his honor he went.
On the way to Dehli, Guru Teg Bahadur ji shared the Naam with all people. The words of the Guru were welcomed just like water is welcome in a desert,
“This world is not real, it is like a dream. The only thing that is real is Truth. Give up your life but do not give up your faith.”
When the Guru finally made it to Dehli, the emperor tried to convince him to give up his religion.
“Become Muslim and you will be a famous and great priest in my court. You will be rich and have everything your heart desires.”
But Guru ji replied,
“My heart desires to live just as God Wills me to.”
The emperor didn't understand the Guru's message,
“But I am doing God’s will! The most high God came to ME in a vision, so now I have to convert the whole world to be Muslim!”
Guru ji told him the truth, "I don't know what God you are talking about but if the One God wanted only one religion, then why is there more than one religion in the first place? Everything is the will of Creator, that is what we all must follow. You nor I nor anyone can change it... The Divine has willed that.. there will be Hindus, Muslims... and Sikhs.”
Aurangzeb didn't like the Hindu religion,
"But the Hindus worship statues! This is an utter, damnable insult to God and it must be stopped!!"
Guruji shared the Guru's way, "I do not believe in idol worship either. But everyone is a child of God. Everyone should be free to worship as they wish."
Aurangzeb failed to convert Guru ji so he tried something else,
“Well, leader of the Sikhs, if you are such a man of God than you should perform miracles to prove it. A man of God can always do miracles.”
Guru ji refused ,
“I will not do any miracles. To undo what the Creator does is an insult to the Heavens. My heart has no greed, I do not want your positions or wealth. I will not change my religion, do what you want with me.”

The emperor was impressed with the Guru but that was not enough for him to change his nature. His advisor again poisoned his ear,
“My liege, the Guru is your enemy, if you have mercy on him now, people will think you are weak. You must make an example out of him. He has not converted to Islam nor performed a miracle as you told him. If you let him live, his life will be an insult to you."

Aurangzeb became angry that the Guru would not convert or perform a miracle, "That heretic!! Take him and torture him until he submits!"
The Guru was tortured but he didn’t shake a single bit. In fact he looked happy, “Lord, your will is sweet to me.”
One of the Guru’s Sikhs was slowly and painfully tortured to death in front of the Guru’s eyes. But nothing could change Guru ji. All the Guru sees is the hand of God at work. His life was almost over, he was tortured and in chains, and even then he wrote divine poetry,
“Every moment not spent praising the Creator is a waste of time. Says Nanak, Oh my soul, love the One like a fish loves the water.”
A servant was sent to the Guru’s house with a message from the Guru,
“Tell my family, son and Sikhs to not worry for my life. These rulers became great from good actions in their past lives. They are destroying their legacy with their wrong actions now. If they spare my life, their empire will last long. But since the ruler has set himself to do bad deeds, this empire will start to crumble. My body will die soon. It’s not bad, we must all be happy with God’s plan.”
The servant returned to the Guru’s house and told them what the Guru said. He also showed them the Guru’s poetry. The young Gobind Rai read a line his father had written,
"My strength is gone, I am bound down, I can not do anything at all.
Says Nanak help me now One Creator, You are my only support.”
Gobind Rai smiled and composed his own version of this line,
"My strength has come, my bonds are broken, I can do everything.
Says Nanak, everything is in Your hands oh Creator, You alone can save me.”
The messenger returned and shared Gobind Rai’s poetry with Guru ji who was pleased with his son,
"Hahaha, my son.”
While the heavens were shifting the guruship from father to son, the emperor still tried his tricks.
“Tell the Guru, if he converts he will be given a very high position, he will be happy. If he doe not, he will DIE! This is FINAL!!"
But Guru ji was courageous,
"I will not give up. The threat of death does not scare me at all. I am ready to die happily.”
Aurangzeb issued the death penalty,
"Just kill him! Chop off his head!”
Guru ji showed us the meaning of courage,
“I will give my head, but I will not give up my faith!”

Guru ji bathed in a well nearby, he sat under a beautiful tree to meditate and he sang Jap ji,
"Ik Ongkar, Sat Nam, Karta Purkh, Nirbau, Nirvair, Akal Murat, Ajooni, Saibhang, GurPrasaad, Jap, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach..................."
Then he bowed to God and the swordsman severed his head from his shoulders. The Guru's life ended while a huge crowd sadly watched the scene. The people cried but the heavens cheered. Just as a rain drop merges in the ocean, his soul merged in the Heavens.

Guru Teg Bahadur ji sacrificed his life to stand strong for everybody’s freedom. He saved many lives and inspired countless souls. Today, he inspires all of us to stand up for freedom!
Many more difficult times were ahead for all Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs who did not like the emperor. But this empire would not last much longer. The tenth Guru now sat on the throne of Baba Nanak, “One Sikh will take on more than a hundred thousand opponents!! On that day, take the name of GOBIND!”
In the name of Nanak may all people be in high spirits! May all beings be blessed by God’s Grace!
The Guru came to help all people reach to the highest. The time had now come for the sweet Sikhs... to take up the sword.
Guru Gobind Rai said,
“Now I will turn pigeons in to hawks!! ”

Guru Gobind Rai later called all his Sikhs together on one great historic day in human history: Vaisakhi day

https://www.sikhnet.com/stories/audio/guru-teg-bahadur-gives-his-head

 

[A.A. Khan]

@HalfMoon

I guess RSS and others have been successful in trying to rewrite and change history as suited by their taste and communal power. This practice is somewhere between Historical Negationism and Historical Revisionism.


Tegh Bahadur had a tiff with Ram Rai who pushed him into court and get him to perform a miracle.
Its accounts are Tarikh e Punjab written in 1842
Tegh Bahadur was a swami-like person who used to fool and extort money form his followers. This is part of Mughal records dated 1782 written by Ghulam Hussain.

Anyways it shows there is deep hatred and process at work to vilify Muslims and their heritage going on in India

 

[Samurai_assassin]

It all started with this.

Guru Teg Bahadur Gives His Head
India had come to very dark times. The rulers were taxing, converting and killing the people....


19:10 minutes (26.58 MB)
Download audio file
Login to Like this Story
Download, print and color these drawings:






India had come to very dark times. The emperor was a cruel man who killed his older brother so he could rule. He was unkind to his own children and starved his father to death. He did everything for the sake of power. He was a very feared ruler by his subjects and did not have any love for people of other religions. Even most Muslims didn't like him. He asked his advisors,

"What do I have to do to gain the trust of my fellow Muslims? I will do whatever it takes."

He was advised,

"Sire, there is only one way to gain the trust of all Muslims...That is by converting Hindus to become Muslim. Destroy Hinduism from the root. The center for Hindu priests is in the land of Kashmir. Convert them first. Once they are Muslim all others will follow."

Aurangzeb issued orders to give offerings to his holy city to show how religious he was. He ordered all the musical instruments destroyed.

“May MUSIC never be heard again!!"

He introduced a tax for all non-muslims.
“Collect the holy tax from all non-believer infidels!"

He also made orders to convert Hindus to Islam.
“If a man converts to our religion give him money, if a woman converts, give her half as much money."

He offered position, land and money to anyone who converted.
"I will be famous in history! A great servant of God! Sher Afghan Khan, you are my governor in Kashmir. The great task is on you!"

Sher Afghan Khan was extremely cruel and merciless. He have the Hindu's two choices: Either they change their religion... or they die. Many, many Hindus refused to convert and they were killed. Fear spread all over India like a dark cloud....

One pundit prayed from the bottom of his heart,
"Holy gods and goddesses, I am being forced to turn against you or, or I will be killed. I shall not betray my faith in you. What can I do? I am your child. Save me, save us all from this oppression."

He had a vision. ...a heavenly voice spoke to him, it said,

"The gods and goddesses can not help. Guru Nanak is the spiritual king in this dark age; The 9th Guru is now seated on his throne. Go to him He will protect your religion and your honor."

So he and all the other Pundits journeyed to Anandpur to meet Siri Guru Teg Bahadur ji! Guru ji kindly welcomed them to the house of the Guru. They looked sad. They told him of the horrible things that were happening,
“Temples are being destroyed, even Gurduaras are being destroyed. They have collected a huge pile of Sacred Hindu Threads from those who've been killed or converted. Who knows how many of us have been killed. We have done nothing to deserve this! If we do not convert, we will die too. But how can we give up our faith?? We have come to you for help! Save us from this tragedy... this DESPAIR!!”

Guru ji felt how these kind-hearted men were so sad. He felt what a difficult situation they were in. Just then the Guru’s son walked in.
"Hahahaha!"

Gobind Rai was about 8 years old. He saw all of this sadness. He hugged his father and asked,
“Pita ji, why are these kind men so sad??”

Guru ji answered, "My beloved son, the emperor is forcing them to give up their religion, under threat of death. There is no end to their misery.”

“Gobind Rai asked, "What is the solution?" And his father answered, “These rulers, they are acting like animals, their hearts are frozen. They need to be softened; their hearts need to be warmed... What is needed is the sacrifice of a holy soul.”

“Innocent Gobind Rai said to his Guru-father, "Dear Pita ji, in this dark age, who is more holy than you? Go and offer yourself! Save them!”

Guru Teg Bahadur knew what needed to happen and he welcomed it as God’s Will. Guru ji had a message sent to the emperor:
Kirpa Ram: “Ahem..Emperor Aurangzeb... The 9th Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur is now seated on the throne of the Great Baba Nanak. He is our leader now! and he has a message for you. If you can convince the Guru to join your religion then all of his Sikhs will convert. All us Hindus will convert as well.”
Aurangzeb was happy to hear this,
“All the Sikhs and Hindu’s are going to convert!! It's like a dream come true! Eehehehahahaha.... Ahem, God is great.”
Guru ji was summoned to Dehli... and on his honor he went.
On the way to Dehli, Guru Teg Bahadur ji shared the Naam with all people. The words of the Guru were welcomed just like water is welcome in a desert,
“This world is not real, it is like a dream. The only thing that is real is Truth. Give up your life but do not give up your faith.”
When the Guru finally made it to Dehli, the emperor tried to convince him to give up his religion.
“Become Muslim and you will be a famous and great priest in my court. You will be rich and have everything your heart desires.”
But Guru ji replied,
“My heart desires to live just as God Wills me to.”
The emperor didn't understand the Guru's message,
“But I am doing God’s will! The most high God came to ME in a vision, so now I have to convert the whole world to be Muslim!”
Guru ji told him the truth, "I don't know what God you are talking about but if the One God wanted only one religion, then why is there more than one religion in the first place? Everything is the will of Creator, that is what we all must follow. You nor I nor anyone can change it... The Divine has willed that.. there will be Hindus, Muslims... and Sikhs.”
Aurangzeb didn't like the Hindu religion,
"But the Hindus worship statues! This is an utter, damnable insult to God and it must be stopped!!"
Guruji shared the Guru's way, "I do not believe in idol worship either. But everyone is a child of God. Everyone should be free to worship as they wish."
Aurangzeb failed to convert Guru ji so he tried something else,
“Well, leader of the Sikhs, if you are such a man of God than you should perform miracles to prove it. A man of God can always do miracles.”
Guru ji refused ,
“I will not do any miracles. To undo what the Creator does is an insult to the Heavens. My heart has no greed, I do not want your positions or wealth. I will not change my religion, do what you want with me.”

The emperor was impressed with the Guru but that was not enough for him to change his nature. His advisor again poisoned his ear,
“My liege, the Guru is your enemy, if you have mercy on him now, people will think you are weak. You must make an example out of him. He has not converted to Islam nor performed a miracle as you told him. If you let him live, his life will be an insult to you."

Aurangzeb became angry that the Guru would not convert or perform a miracle, "That heretic!! Take him and torture him until he submits!"
The Guru was tortured but he didn’t shake a single bit. In fact he looked happy, “Lord, your will is sweet to me.”
One of the Guru’s Sikhs was slowly and painfully tortured to death in front of the Guru’s eyes. But nothing could change Guru ji. All the Guru sees is the hand of God at work. His life was almost over, he was tortured and in chains, and even then he wrote divine poetry,
“Every moment not spent praising the Creator is a waste of time. Says Nanak, Oh my soul, love the One like a fish loves the water.”
A servant was sent to the Guru’s house with a message from the Guru,
“Tell my family, son and Sikhs to not worry for my life. These rulers became great from good actions in their past lives. They are destroying their legacy with their wrong actions now. If they spare my life, their empire will last long. But since the ruler has set himself to do bad deeds, this empire will start to crumble. My body will die soon. It’s not bad, we must all be happy with God’s plan.”
The servant returned to the Guru’s house and told them what the Guru said. He also showed them the Guru’s poetry. The young Gobind Rai read a line his father had written,
"My strength is gone, I am bound down, I can not do anything at all.
Says Nanak help me now One Creator, You are my only support.”
Gobind Rai smiled and composed his own version of this line,
"My strength has come, my bonds are broken, I can do everything.
Says Nanak, everything is in Your hands oh Creator, You alone can save me.”
The messenger returned and shared Gobind Rai’s poetry with Guru ji who was pleased with his son,
"Hahaha, my son.”
While the heavens were shifting the guruship from father to son, the emperor still tried his tricks.
“Tell the Guru, if he converts he will be given a very high position, he will be happy. If he doe not, he will DIE! This is FINAL!!"
But Guru ji was courageous,
"I will not give up. The threat of death does not scare me at all. I am ready to die happily.”
Aurangzeb issued the death penalty,
"Just kill him! Chop off his head!”
Guru ji showed us the meaning of courage,
“I will give my head, but I will not give up my faith!”

Guru ji bathed in a well nearby, he sat under a beautiful tree to meditate and he sang Jap ji,
"Ik Ongkar, Sat Nam, Karta Purkh, Nirbau, Nirvair, Akal Murat, Ajooni, Saibhang, GurPrasaad, Jap, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach..................."
Then he bowed to God and the swordsman severed his head from his shoulders. The Guru's life ended while a huge crowd sadly watched the scene. The people cried but the heavens cheered. Just as a rain drop merges in the ocean, his soul merged in the Heavens.

Guru Teg Bahadur ji sacrificed his life to stand strong for everybody’s freedom. He saved many lives and inspired countless souls. Today, he inspires all of us to stand up for freedom!
Many more difficult times were ahead for all Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs who did not like the emperor. But this empire would not last much longer. The tenth Guru now sat on the throne of Baba Nanak, “One Sikh will take on more than a hundred thousand opponents!! On that day, take the name of GOBIND!”
In the name of Nanak may all people be in high spirits! May all beings be blessed by God’s Grace!
The Guru came to help all people reach to the highest. The time had now come for the sweet Sikhs... to take up the sword.
Guru Gobind Rai said,
“Now I will turn pigeons in to hawks!! ”

Guru Gobind Rai later called all his Sikhs together on one great historic day in human history: Vaisakhi day

https://www.sikhnet.com/stories/audio/guru-teg-bahadur-gives-his-head

nothing to do with Pakistanis and Muslims of today.

 

[SALMAN F]

It all started with this.

Guru Teg Bahadur Gives His Head
India had come to very dark times. The rulers were taxing, converting and killing the people....


19:10 minutes (26.58 MB)
Download audio file
Login to Like this Story
Download, print and color these drawings:






India had come to very dark times. The emperor was a cruel man who killed his older brother so he could rule. He was unkind to his own children and starved his father to death. He did everything for the sake of power. He was a very feared ruler by his subjects and did not have any love for people of other religions. Even most Muslims didn't like him. He asked his advisors,

"What do I have to do to gain the trust of my fellow Muslims? I will do whatever it takes."

He was advised,

"Sire, there is only one way to gain the trust of all Muslims...That is by converting Hindus to become Muslim. Destroy Hinduism from the root. The center for Hindu priests is in the land of Kashmir. Convert them first. Once they are Muslim all others will follow."

Aurangzeb issued orders to give offerings to his holy city to show how religious he was. He ordered all the musical instruments destroyed.

“May MUSIC never be heard again!!"

He introduced a tax for all non-muslims.
“Collect the holy tax from all non-believer infidels!"

He also made orders to convert Hindus to Islam.
“If a man converts to our religion give him money, if a woman converts, give her half as much money."

He offered position, land and money to anyone who converted.
"I will be famous in history! A great servant of God! Sher Afghan Khan, you are my governor in Kashmir. The great task is on you!"

Sher Afghan Khan was extremely cruel and merciless. He have the Hindu's two choices: Either they change their religion... or they die. Many, many Hindus refused to convert and they were killed. Fear spread all over India like a dark cloud....

One pundit prayed from the bottom of his heart,
"Holy gods and goddesses, I am being forced to turn against you or, or I will be killed. I shall not betray my faith in you. What can I do? I am your child. Save me, save us all from this oppression."

He had a vision. ...a heavenly voice spoke to him, it said,

"The gods and goddesses can not help. Guru Nanak is the spiritual king in this dark age; The 9th Guru is now seated on his throne. Go to him He will protect your religion and your honor."

So he and all the other Pundits journeyed to Anandpur to meet Siri Guru Teg Bahadur ji! Guru ji kindly welcomed them to the house of the Guru. They looked sad. They told him of the horrible things that were happening,
“Temples are being destroyed, even Gurduaras are being destroyed. They have collected a huge pile of Sacred Hindu Threads from those who've been killed or converted. Who knows how many of us have been killed. We have done nothing to deserve this! If we do not convert, we will die too. But how can we give up our faith?? We have come to you for help! Save us from this tragedy... this DESPAIR!!”

Guru ji felt how these kind-hearted men were so sad. He felt what a difficult situation they were in. Just then the Guru’s son walked in.
"Hahahaha!"

Gobind Rai was about 8 years old. He saw all of this sadness. He hugged his father and asked,
“Pita ji, why are these kind men so sad??”

Guru ji answered, "My beloved son, the emperor is forcing them to give up their religion, under threat of death. There is no end to their misery.”

“Gobind Rai asked, "What is the solution?" And his father answered, “These rulers, they are acting like animals, their hearts are frozen. They need to be softened; their hearts need to be warmed... What is needed is the sacrifice of a holy soul.”

“Innocent Gobind Rai said to his Guru-father, "Dear Pita ji, in this dark age, who is more holy than you? Go and offer yourself! Save them!”

Guru Teg Bahadur knew what needed to happen and he welcomed it as God’s Will. Guru ji had a message sent to the emperor:
Kirpa Ram: “Ahem..Emperor Aurangzeb... The 9th Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur is now seated on the throne of the Great Baba Nanak. He is our leader now! and he has a message for you. If you can convince the Guru to join your religion then all of his Sikhs will convert. All us Hindus will convert as well.”
Aurangzeb was happy to hear this,
“All the Sikhs and Hindu’s are going to convert!! It's like a dream come true! Eehehehahahaha.... Ahem, God is great.”
Guru ji was summoned to Dehli... and on his honor he went.
On the way to Dehli, Guru Teg Bahadur ji shared the Naam with all people. The words of the Guru were welcomed just like water is welcome in a desert,
“This world is not real, it is like a dream. The only thing that is real is Truth. Give up your life but do not give up your faith.”
When the Guru finally made it to Dehli, the emperor tried to convince him to give up his religion.
“Become Muslim and you will be a famous and great priest in my court. You will be rich and have everything your heart desires.”
But Guru ji replied,
“My heart desires to live just as God Wills me to.”
The emperor didn't understand the Guru's message,
“But I am doing God’s will! The most high God came to ME in a vision, so now I have to convert the whole world to be Muslim!”
Guru ji told him the truth, "I don't know what God you are talking about but if the One God wanted only one religion, then why is there more than one religion in the first place? Everything is the will of Creator, that is what we all must follow. You nor I nor anyone can change it... The Divine has willed that.. there will be Hindus, Muslims... and Sikhs.”
Aurangzeb didn't like the Hindu religion,
"But the Hindus worship statues! This is an utter, damnable insult to God and it must be stopped!!"
Guruji shared the Guru's way, "I do not believe in idol worship either. But everyone is a child of God. Everyone should be free to worship as they wish."
Aurangzeb failed to convert Guru ji so he tried something else,
“Well, leader of the Sikhs, if you are such a man of God than you should perform miracles to prove it. A man of God can always do miracles.”
Guru ji refused ,
“I will not do any miracles. To undo what the Creator does is an insult to the Heavens. My heart has no greed, I do not want your positions or wealth. I will not change my religion, do what you want with me.”

The emperor was impressed with the Guru but that was not enough for him to change his nature. His advisor again poisoned his ear,
“My liege, the Guru is your enemy, if you have mercy on him now, people will think you are weak. You must make an example out of him. He has not converted to Islam nor performed a miracle as you told him. If you let him live, his life will be an insult to you."

Aurangzeb became angry that the Guru would not convert or perform a miracle, "That heretic!! Take him and torture him until he submits!"
The Guru was tortured but he didn’t shake a single bit. In fact he looked happy, “Lord, your will is sweet to me.”
One of the Guru’s Sikhs was slowly and painfully tortured to death in front of the Guru’s eyes. But nothing could change Guru ji. All the Guru sees is the hand of God at work. His life was almost over, he was tortured and in chains, and even then he wrote divine poetry,
“Every moment not spent praising the Creator is a waste of time. Says Nanak, Oh my soul, love the One like a fish loves the water.”
A servant was sent to the Guru’s house with a message from the Guru,
“Tell my family, son and Sikhs to not worry for my life. These rulers became great from good actions in their past lives. They are destroying their legacy with their wrong actions now. If they spare my life, their empire will last long. But since the ruler has set himself to do bad deeds, this empire will start to crumble. My body will die soon. It’s not bad, we must all be happy with God’s plan.”
The servant returned to the Guru’s house and told them what the Guru said. He also showed them the Guru’s poetry. The young Gobind Rai read a line his father had written,
"My strength is gone, I am bound down, I can not do anything at all.
Says Nanak help me now One Creator, You are my only support.”
Gobind Rai smiled and composed his own version of this line,
"My strength has come, my bonds are broken, I can do everything.
Says Nanak, everything is in Your hands oh Creator, You alone can save me.”
The messenger returned and shared Gobind Rai’s poetry with Guru ji who was pleased with his son,
"Hahaha, my son.”
While the heavens were shifting the guruship from father to son, the emperor still tried his tricks.
“Tell the Guru, if he converts he will be given a very high position, he will be happy. If he doe not, he will DIE! This is FINAL!!"
But Guru ji was courageous,
"I will not give up. The threat of death does not scare me at all. I am ready to die happily.”
Aurangzeb issued the death penalty,
"Just kill him! Chop off his head!”
Guru ji showed us the meaning of courage,
“I will give my head, but I will not give up my faith!”

Guru ji bathed in a well nearby, he sat under a beautiful tree to meditate and he sang Jap ji,
"Ik Ongkar, Sat Nam, Karta Purkh, Nirbau, Nirvair, Akal Murat, Ajooni, Saibhang, GurPrasaad, Jap, Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach..................."
Then he bowed to God and the swordsman severed his head from his shoulders. The Guru's life ended while a huge crowd sadly watched the scene. The people cried but the heavens cheered. Just as a rain drop merges in the ocean, his soul merged in the Heavens.

Guru Teg Bahadur ji sacrificed his life to stand strong for everybody’s freedom. He saved many lives and inspired countless souls. Today, he inspires all of us to stand up for freedom!
Many more difficult times were ahead for all Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs who did not like the emperor. But this empire would not last much longer. The tenth Guru now sat on the throne of Baba Nanak, “One Sikh will take on more than a hundred thousand opponents!! On that day, take the name of GOBIND!”
In the name of Nanak may all people be in high spirits! May all beings be blessed by God’s Grace!
The Guru came to help all people reach to the highest. The time had now come for the sweet Sikhs... to take up the sword.
Guru Gobind Rai said,
“Now I will turn pigeons in to hawks!! ”

Guru Gobind Rai later called all his Sikhs together on one great historic day in human history: Vaisakhi day

https://www.sikhnet.com/stories/audio/guru-teg-bahadur-gives-his-head

Sikhs are super duper warriors

 

[A.A. Khan]

nothing to do with Pakistanis and Muslims of today.

Rofl he is trying to justify his deep seated hatred and complexes. And this gets more dangerous as this have been instilled in them thru school literature and RSS alternate truths, where their like-minded historians negate and disinform by twisting the information as they wish to listen.

India has institutionalized haterd of Muslims need to accept that.

 

[Samurai_assassin]

Rofl he is trying to justify his deep seated hatred and complexes. And this gets more dangerous as this have been instilled in them thru school literature and RSS alternate truths, where their like-minded historians negate and disinform by twisting the information as they wish to listen.

India has institutionalized haterd of Muslims need to accept that.

Pakistanis need to back down from their 'mehman nawazi' mentality.

 

[Samurai_assassin]

Rather remember what these same Sikhs did to unarmed Muslims trying to reach Pakistan during August and December of 1947. Rape, mass murder a complete genocide for a purpose.

Mobilized a group called 'Jathas' gave them militant training to take on hapless innocents on their way to the border. The Sikh Maharajas supported these animals running wild on unarmed civilians. Completely eradicated Punjabi speaking Muslims from the states present-day Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Punjab.

The more reason to make a citizens defence force for the east provinces incase we see a repeat of the violence of 47. Atleast our people will have enough armour and training to form militias to defend themselves.

 

[A.A. Khan]

@Samurai_assassin

We should just remember what they did to Muslims in 1947. Over a million, raped, butchered. Organized sikh terrorists called jathas killing unarmed people. Slaughtering literally whole neighbourhoods giving the rest to vultures to eat. And its history can't be twisted as its visually documented.

 

[HalfMoon]

@HalfMoon

I guess RSS and others have been successful in trying to rewrite and change history as suited by their taste and communal power. This practice is somewhere between Historical Negationism and Historical Revisionism.


Tegh Bahadur had a tiff with Ram Rai who pushed him into court and get him to perform a miracle.
Its accounts are Tarikh e Punjab written in 1842
Tegh Bahadur was a swami-like person who used to fool and extort money form his followers. This is part of Mughal records dated 1782 written by Ghulam Hussain.

Anyways it shows there is deep hatred and process at work to vilify Muslims and their heritage going on in India

Nothing to do with RSS/Hindutva. This is recorded history. You can go and ask any Sikh anywhere in the world and they will tell you the same story.

 

[Anik101]

Rofl he is trying to justify his deep seated hatred and complexes. And this gets more dangerous as this have been instilled in them thru school literature and RSS alternate truths, where their like-minded historians negate and disinform by twisting the information as they wish to listen.

India has institutionalized haterd of Muslims need to accept that.

LOL.......We have been reading about Sikh Aurangzeb conflict from much before RSS/BJP government was in power. Also most of our historians are supporters of leftist ideology and our history books have hardly changed since I last read them.

 

[A.A. Khan]

LOL.......We have been reading about Sikh Aurangzeb conflict from much before RSS/BJP government was in power. Also most of our historians are supporters of leftist ideology and our history books have hardly changed since I last read them.

Never knew historians are leftists.

Your histiry books have been reinterpreted like most of your literature.
RSS was'nt founded yesterday and its BJP parent organization. There is not much difference between bjp and congress on hindu hate and reinterpretation of history
I still remember a 5th standard quiz book of a friend of indian embassy school 'Who said India should be destroyed?' Answer was M.A. Jinnah. Have never been able to find that quote but it shows how indians are indoctrinated from childhood.