Guru Nanak
From Wikireligion
Guru Nanak was the supposed founder of Sikh faith. He was born into a Hindu family. His father was Mehta Kalu and his mother is Mata Tripta. He had younger sister named Bibi Nanaki. From childhood, Bibi Nanaki recognized that her younger brother was special and saw in him the Light of God. She is known as the first follower (disciple) of Guru Nanak. As young Nanak grew up, he learnt about the Hindu religion. He was not comfortable with the way of the Hindu.
During his teenage years, young Nanak worked for a Muslim businessman. During this time he learned about the Muslim religion too. Even this knowledge did not make him comfortable. Young Nanak was unhappy with way the people in his country lived and behaved towards each other - there was war and conflict despite many great religions in the world. This made him sad and very concerned for the people of his country. He decided to became a religious teacher.
He began teaching about a new faith which shared ideas with Hinduism and Islam and other faiths of the time. This new religion is now called Sikhism. He became known as a "Guru". Guru Nanak said that there was only one God; This powerful God was the creator and destroyer of all that we see. He taught his followers that all human beings were equal before God; he considered women equal to man. He asked his followers to remember God at all times and only do good deeds.
Nanak travelled far and wide to teach about the new religion. He traveled many thousands of miles. During his travels, he wrote ans sang sacred hymns about his beliefs. Many common people came to listen to his teaching. His most famous composition is the Japji, which Sikhs say at dawn each day. In the Japji, Guru Nanak talks about God and how one can become closer to Him. He preached to the Hindus to be good Hindus and to the Muslims to be good Muslims. He asked his followers to practise righteousness by being kind and compassionate.
