Zia Shah
Written by someone for the Times of India
Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, Aerial View
Source: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: In a country where religious intolerance and communal hatred dominate the news nowadays, here is something that goes to show that all is not rotten and ugly.
Muslim residents of Joshimath in Uttarakhand offered Eid namaaz (prayers) on Monday in a gurdwara (Sikh temple), after being invited in by its head priest, according to the local media. There is no mosque or idgah in Joshimath, a town perched above the Alakhnanda deep in the Garhwal Himalayas. Usually its 800-odd Muslim residents offer namaaz at the town’s Gandhi Maidan, a public ground.
On Monday, however, Gandhi maidan had turned into slush. It had been raining heavily for several days and Eid, the festival day too dawned in a downpour. The Muslim community was struggling with the problem when the head of the local gurdwara sent a heart warming message to them- The Muslims could use the main hall of the gurdwara for offering namaaz.
So, at 9:30am, the congregation of Muslims in bright new clothes trooped down to the gurdwara and offered the ritual prayers in the big hall. After the ceremony, they embraced the Sikh community members waiting outside the hall. Some Hindus from the town were present too and offered greetings to the other two communities.
Sardar Buta Singh, Prabandhak of the gurdwara, later told media persons that he had extended the invitation to the Muslims to help them in their crisis.
Maulvi Asif was quoted by media as saying that by solving their problem, the gurdwara committee had presented an example of humanity and respect towards all religions. He said that the Muslim community was thankful to the committee.
Categories: Asia, Eid, Eid-ul-Fitr, India, Interfaith tolerance, ISLAM, Islam, Religious Values, Sikhism, Universal Brotherhood
May Allah reward the hosts many-fold!
I also recall with pleasure the great hospitality of Sikh residents of Qadian. I stayed in the house of the Deputy Mayor of Qadian, a Sikh, and his hospitality was superb (as were his wife’s prattas) (alu-pratta, gobi-pratta, and other-prattas).
It is an other beautiful example of Harmony between religions. It was the basic message of all the prophets and religious sofies including Baba Grunanik.
Actually it is the reflection of message of peace of the promised Messiah(A.S) for all human-beings,as the
Motto of Jammat-E-Ahmadiyya also give the same message.
1-” LOVE FOR ALL HATRED FOR NONE”
2- ” HUMANITY FIRST”
All religions advocate humanity. Only good people convey religions it should be.
My sincere regards and prayers for them. God Bless them.Amen
Todays Muslim should take a lesson of this.Wahe Gru
Allah o Akbar.
It’s a perfect example of Humanity. We all religions are as branches & which is connected with one root only(GOD).
Sikhs always believe in religious harmony and love good people of all faiths. God lives in hearts of all human beings irrespective of their religion. Holy book of Sikhs “Guru Granth Sahib” contains verses of Muslim saint Sheikh Farid and Hindu Saints. Foundation stone of holiest shrine of Sikhs, Golden Temple, was laid by a Muslim saint Sai Mia Mir.
This is real India and gesture of Sikh community in this case is reciprocated by other communities as well.
India is great, so are real Indians.
Mr.Sardar Buta Singh you have won the hearts of all Indian Muslims. specially of those Muslims of Joshimath in Uttarakhand, who were terribly afraid of missing their Eid Prayers but Allah made soft with full of love and harmony the Hearts of their neighbors of Sikh local community, They open their hearts to offer their worshiping halls for needy Muslims they wanted shelter from rainy days What a nice cooperation and mutual brotherhood love was seen there.
Muslims specially Muslims of Pakistani origin should learn lesson from Sikh community for their hospitality.
If this sort of things happen with other minority in Pakistan, the Pakistani Mullahs will closed their doors. I salute Sikh community that beside difference in faith they accommodate Muslims to celibate the festival in their Gurudwara.
This was an exemplary of the Sikh community an act of compassion and righteousness certainly deserving blessings of Allah.
This is the example of true human being as perched by Sikhism. Awal Alaha noor uppaia, kudrat de sab bande, ek noor pe sab jug upjia kon bhale kon mande
Sikhs hve always been helpful. I wonder if the Muslims will do the same to the Sikhs. We, the Sikhs,hve a big heart n r v v generous
Sikhism is one of the pure Monotheistic faiths, like Judaism, Islam and Unitarian Christianity and in many ways is closer to Islam than Trinitarian Christianity.
We are happy to be promoting universal brotherhood and sisterhood in the Muslim Times.
To include Buddhism in our fold of common humanity, let me quote here, what Dalai Lama tweeted today:
As a Sikh, I have always respected my Muslim Brothers and Sisters. We are the branches of a single Almighty Tree that Provides True Love, Compassion and Mercy on all its creation. Happy Eid to one and all
people from all religeons are good and we are good wisher to all as a human . in the world all problem is created by the politicians only . this is an example set by sikh brother.
Is surau strictly a place to worship allah??
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/13/Resort-operator-detained-He-allowed-a-group-of-Buddhists-to-hold-meditation-in-his-surau.aspx
I am so touched what the Sikhs have done >> So Kind and so Loving of them . May the AlMighty reward them a million times more for their Good and Kind deed ! I hope all Muslims around the world learn from this and do the same or more for the other community !!
We are all Children of the Same God !!
Regards & Love
Eid a day of forgivness and a day of hug each other from heart. it should be celebrate by every religion.Let us make humanity first our religion. live and let live our preaches.Being a sikh i feel proud and honored by my sikh community for doing this good deed.
It is very heartening to see the media report this – I think this has to be reported at a scale that it’d reach most. I’ve lived in India most of my life and I must proudly say that we Indians (except for very few) are secular. It has been only a few individuals or groups, for their personal gain, have exploited the religious route. Hope someday even these few put their greed and selfishness behind for humanity.
“Surely, the Believers, and the Jews, and the Christians and the Sabians — whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds — shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.” (Al Quran 2:63)
“Surely, those who have believed, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians — whoso believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds, on them shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Al Quran 5:70)
Ameeeennnnnn
Islaam is the religion i respect 😀
I am so proud of my Sikh brothers ! 🙂
Waheguru !
Mehar kari
Saare eda hi harmony naal rehnde rehn <3
This was heart wrenching, I applaud our Sikh leader for being pro active and reaching out to our Muslim brothers; although we might have different religions, we still speak the same languages, eat the same food, live in harmony with one another and this is an example of the undying love we can share!
I am so proud of the people who preach the true message of their respective religions. We have people all around who create a shame to religions by wrong doings. On the other hand, these examples with kind gestures to other religions keeps the balance.
Respect to all religions and Happy EID to all Muslim brothers. May Allah bless every one.
humanity is the foremost religion!
hence proved by sikhs of joshimath, uttrakhand
Gurus teach that we should see God in all, or we do not see God at all.This is not the first and only time,two years when troubles broke on the streets of London, Sikhs stood Guard outside a Masjid, while Muslims did their namaz.
Guru nanak Ji says awal allh ek noor sabh jag upjiye …Kaum bahle kaun mande…
This reminds me of good old days of my childhood before 1947. We were five Sikh families living in a small village of Azad Kasmir now in Pakistan and rest of the families were Muslim. There was so much love and harmony in the village. There was no Gurdawara in the village and we used to invite Maulvi Sahib to pray for us on different occasions. Everything got poisoned after 1947.
I am very happy to hear this news as i ma proud of my sikh brother
Very touching! glad there’s humanity among religions. The willingness of the muslim brothers to use a space from another religion is to me a very courageous act. one to humbly offer and the other to humbly accept. Both parties i solute! My close friend is a muslim and i am happy to share this news with her. Wish there is much more tolerance among religions. I am also proud of this website to carry this news and the headline is much more appealing. “Extending warmth and Love”. May Allah/Waheguru Bless us all!
If we are the children of one God, we must help each other. In the time of India Independence all the people specially Hindu and Muslim preferred gurudwara sahib for meeting to free India from British slavery. Now we are (Sikhs) slave of Indian Government. Indian government protecting all the Hindu for 1984?
I am a Sikh from Malaysia. While I am proud of the Sikh’s in Joshimath for their exemplary gesture, I am equally appreciative of those like Zia Shah (who penned this article) and the rest of the Muslims here who have shown thanks and appreciation in response. Why, you may ask? After all, isn’t being moved and thankful a natural reaction, sans religion? Well, not in Malaysia. The following took place last week at a Malaysian resort close to Singapore:
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-surau-video-resort-owners-pr-in-jeopardy
The manager of the resort, a Singaporean Muslim (with Permanent Residence status in Malaysia) allowed a group of visiting Buddhist tourists to use the Surau (Muslim prayer room) to meditate due to the lack of an alternative hall. Exemplary? Not according to Malaysian officials. He has been arrested and charged with “injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class” and will have his residency status revoked upon release.
Such shocking news is common in modern Malaysia. A once multi-racial and tolerant Muslim nation, the present Govt gives locals and foreigners alike the impression that Islam is exactly what the West portrays it to be – intolerant.
So why am I impressed by Zia and everyone else here giving thanks? It solidifies my belief that Islam isn’t what the Malaysian Government portrays it to be. There are those who not only appreciate such gestures, but would no doubt do the same as the Sikhs of Joshimath – had the roles been reversed.
The Malaysian Government, who believes they are acting in accordance with their believes, could learn a thing or two from the Muslim resort manager (whom they are trying so hard to make an ‘example’ of), Zia and the rest of the Muslim respondents here.
Thanks Balbir for your kind comments.
I am not surprised with the unusual hospitality because during my recent visit to Punjab, India, I found Sikh community compassionate towards their neighbors. At times our car would be stopped in the villages of Gurdaspur to invite us to a meal by some Sikh gentleman.
I also found out that Ahmadi Muslim loves and honor the founder of Sikhism and consider “Baba Guru Nanak – A Muslim Saint”
http://www.alislam.org/egazette/articles/baba-guru-nanak-a-muslim-saint/
See more: http://www.alislam.org/library/sikhism.html
Indeed a great gesture displayed that humanity comes before any religious boundaries. We are all flowers of the same garden, eminating beautiful fragrances.
May God bless the hosts.
I have read the link send to me about Baba Guru Nanak. It is good to read old article where they said that Guru Nanak believed in the muslim faith. If that is true than why Baba Guru Nanak was imprisoned by Babar, then Fifth Guru Arjan Dev ji was punished sitting on hot iron plate then Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded by the order of Aurangzeb in Delhi. In the last they buried alive Guru Gobind Singh ji two son in the wall.
Sikhs belief to help any one without keeping bad feeling even own enemy. That is life we live dictated by ten gurus and our Guru Granth Sahib.
This year Muslims celebrate Eid on THURSDAY .
I solute the Sikh community. In years 1944, I had a friend, handsome, Surindar Singh, nephew of Jagat Singh sahib in Chakwal area. There was another very kind Sikh Dilip Singh…
Please remember that in years 0625-28, a delegation of Christians from (?) came to Madinah to discuss few things about religion. The Prophet Muhammad put them up in his mosque.
Then they needed to pray also (in quite different way). The prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s. permitted them to pray inside the mosque.
I cannot understand why the Muslims of Malaya are forgetting such good examples of tolerance. They are ignoring the Sunnah (the path) of their prophet s.a.w.s. That is severe ignorance and a sin.
The Sikhs have set up a very good example of inter religious love and compassion. I solute the Sikhs. Their leader Baba Guru Nanak sahib was a great saint. He was a true man of God.
The Sikhs are a brave nation, believe in One God, and hard working, honest people. We do not see any Sikh begging. May Allah bless the Sikh nation with great reward. It is important for all Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs and Christians to keep away from dirty politics. It is the politics which has divided us all. Let politics be clean and let humanity live with friendly manner in love.