Religion is an agency of socialization. It forms the basis of humanity and brotherhood. A sense of community and belonging is brought through religion.
Two common and popular religions over the world are Islam and Sikhism. Both religions are monotheistic but have distinct teachings and features.
Key Takeaways
- Islam is a monotheistic religion founded by Prophet Muhammad, while Guru Nanak founded Sikhism.
- Muslims follow the Quran and believe in the Five Pillars of Islam; Sikhs adhere to the Guru Granth Sahib and the teachings of the ten Sikh Gurus.
- Islamic practices include prayers and fasting during Ramadan; Sikhism promotes equality, honest living, and service to humanity.
Islam vs Sikhism
Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century CE, with its central text being the Quran. Sikhism, on the other hand, was founded in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the late 15th century by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and its central text is the Guru Granth Sahib.
Muslims follow the teachings of Muhammad. Religion ranks among the second-largest in the world. It has over 1.9 billion followers.
The teachers in Islam are known as Rasools or Nabis. In Islam, Muslims worship only one God, who is known as Allah.
While Sikhism is considered the fifth-largest religion in the world, there are over 30 million followers of the religion Sikhism. The teachers are known as Gurus.
The monotheistic religion believes in Waheguru, who is nirankar, which is shapeless, Akal, which is timeless, and Karta purakh which is the creator.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Islam | Sikhism |
|---|---|---|
| Auspicious days or festivals | The widely celebrated festival in Islam is Eid | The widely celebrated festival in Sikhism is Guruparabs |
| Teachers | The teachers are known as Rasools or Nabis | The teachers are known as Gurus |
| Pilgrimage belief | Islam believes in pilgrimage to Hajj | Sikhism does not believe in any pilgrimage |
| Sacred place | Mecca | Amritsar |
| Practice of dead bodies | In Islam the dead bodies are buried | In Sikhism the dead bodies are cremated |
What is Islam?
Islam is a monotheistic religion. The Abrahamic religion follows the teachings of Muhammad. Religion ranks among the second-largest in the world.
It has over 1.9 billion followers who are known as Muslims. The term Islam signifies “complete submission to the will of God”. In Islam, Muslims worship only one God, who is known as Allah.
They believe in completely submitting themselves to their Almighty Allah.
The holy text of the Islam religion is the Quran, which is considered the Verbatim word of God. No questions or alteration of the Quran is tolerated in Islam as it is the final revelation of God.
The religion had its origin in Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula. Over 47 countries have followers of Islam. Islam is considered a complete version of the primordial faith.
Various profits have revealed it in the past, like Jesus, Adam, Moses, Abraham, and others.
Islam experienced and flourishing scientific, cultural and economical, which is referred to as the “Islamic golden age”. The period dates from the 8th century to the 13th century.
Islam believes that Prophet Muhammad knew Allah’s words, and the angel Gabriel did the revelation. The place of worship for Muslims is in Mosques.
Some holy places of Islam are the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
Besides the Quran, Hadith is also considered a holy text of Islam. The religion revolves around a central idea which is known as “jihad”.
Jihad implies Holy struggle or Holy war. Islam follows egalitarianism inside the community. The religion includes Shia Islam as well as Sunni Islam. The entire religion is based on the concept of Sharīāh.
What is Sikhism?
Sikhism or Sikhi in Punjabi Is referred to as the religion which has originated in the Punjab region of the country India. It is considered the fifth-largest religion in the world.
There are over 30 million followers of the religion Sikhism. The followers are known as Sikhs. Guru Nanak and his spiritual teachings developed the religion. The followers of the religion follow the Guru Granth Sahib as the holy text.
Guru Nanak is considered the first guru of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other Sikh gurus. Sikhism emphasizes “Simran”, which implies remembrance and meditation of the teachings of the Sikh gurus.
The Simran is expressed through musical kirtan or naam japna. The religion extensively teaches the followers to change the five thieves that are – greed, lust, ego, rage, and attachment.
The scriptures of Sikhism are originally written in Gurmukhī, which has been standardized off Landā scripts. The term Sikhi in Punjabi means the temporal path of learning and has been derived from the word Sikhana which means to learn.
Sikhism is a part of the Indian religion. Religion focuses on spiritual development and the growth of moral conduct.
The entire religion revolves around a core concept, “Ek nūr te sab jag upjiā”, meaning that the entire universe welled up from one specific light.
The first guru of Sikhism that is Guru Nanak, believed truth as the highest virtue. The monotheistic religion believes in Waheguru, who is nirankar, which is shapeless, Akal, which is timeless, and Karta purakh, which is the creator.
Main Differences Between Islam and Sikhism
- Islam is Abrahamic Religion, while Sikhism is dharmic religion.
- Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula, while Sikhism originated in the Punjab region of the country India.
- The followers of Islam are known as Muslims, while the followers of Sikhism are known as Sikhs.
- The Holy text of Islam is Quran and Hadith, while the Holy text of Sikhism is Guru Granth Sahib.
- Islam has five pillars, while Sikhism has three pillars.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09557570701574105
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10665680600790327
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