ਪੰਜਾਬپنجاب · Faiths of Punjab
Side by side
God, scripture, priests, caste and the afterlife in each faith, compared.
God
- Sikhi
- One formless Creator (Ik Onkar); no incarnations
- Islam
- One God (Allah); no partners or incarnations
- Hindu traditions
- Many forms of the divine, often understood as aspects of one ultimate reality (Brahman); incarnations such as Rama and Krishna
Scripture
- Sikhi
- Guru Granth Sahib, honoured as the living Guru
- Islam
- The Quran, with the Hadith as guidance
- Hindu traditions
- Vedas, Upanishads, epics and Puranas; no single scripture
Founder or source
- Sikhi
- Guru Nanak and nine successors
- Islam
- The Prophet Muhammad
- Hindu traditions
- No single founder; revealed and remembered tradition
Place of worship
- Sikhi
- Gurdwara, open to all, with a langar
- Islam
- Mosque; Sufi shrines (dargahs)
- Hindu traditions
- Temple (mandir), home shrines, pilgrimage sites
Priesthood
- Sikhi
- No priestly caste; any Sikh may read scripture
- Islam
- No priesthood; imams lead prayer; ulama interpret law
- Hindu traditions
- Brahmin priests for many rites
Caste
- Sikhi
- Rejected in teaching, though caste persists in society
- Islam
- Rejected in teaching; biradari kinship groups persist in society
- Hindu traditions
- Varna and jati historically central; challenged by bhakti and reform movements
After death
- Sikhi
- Cycle of rebirth, ended by merging with God through grace
- Islam
- One life, then judgement, heaven or hell
- Hindu traditions
- Cycle of rebirth (samsara) and karma; liberation (moksha)
Path
- Sikhi
- Remembering the Name, honest work, sharing, service
- Islam
- Faith, prayer five times a day, fasting, charity, pilgrimage
- Hindu traditions
- Many paths: devotion (bhakti), knowledge (jnana), action (karma), yoga