Analysis of Islam Din and Sikhism

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Islam is a religion expressed by the Quran, a religious book read by its followers and believed to be the literal words of the single God, Allah. Founded by Muhammad, the purpose of Islam is to live according to Sharia, with the ultimate goal of Islam Din being to go to heaven, and to submit to God’s will. In order to achieve this end result there is a series of methods that are practiced; promoting Dhikr, remembering god, and submitting to God’s will. In terms of their methods, their place of worship, where some of their practices are held, is a mosque or masjid.

It is important to know Islam contains five pillars, with the belief that there is one God whose messenger is Muhammad. The 5 Pillars are just one of the many methods practiced by this particular religion. The first pillar is declaration of faith, “There is no God but God,” after which comes consistent prayer. Prayer is required five times daily. The third pillar is “Almsgiving.” Almsgiving is the requirement to give 2.5% of your personal wealth to the needy followed by the fasting of Ramadan. Pillar number five is a pilgrimage to Mecca, which is not necessarily something everyone can do.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji founded Sikhism or Sikh Dharma, around 1469 AD. The Sikh practice revolves around three things, “Recitation and remembrance of Nam, the divine presence, to establish a strong relationship with Akal Purakh, the practice of generosity, dan, to promote right relationships in society, and thirdly ishnan, the practice of pure living to establish right relationships with oneself. ” Sikhs also practice daily prayer to their one God, always keeping in mind the three pillars of Sikhism. The three pillars of Sikhism in other words are, “To remember God at all times which inc...

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... stresses the importance of earning an honest living. They both believe in sharing one’s earnings with the less fortunate to benefit the whole society.

Sikhism also stresses the virtues of being married and raising and supporting a family. Going along with the idea of supporting a family, they both perceive women as equal, even though some Sikhs consider daughters economic liabilities, because it is expensive to marry them off to other families. Lastly, both religions also believe in one God. Islam’s God is referred to as Allah, while the Sikhs refer to their God as Akal Purakh.

In the end, while these two religions are often in the media for their conflicts and continued turmoil, it is important to recognize that they are not all that different, and that they do in fact have some similarities.

Works Cited

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Islam_vs_Sikhism

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