'When Guru Nanak reappeared after his disappearance in the river Bein, Guru Sahib declared, "There is no hindu and no musalmaan" (meaning that there was no difference between people, although some interpret that both hindus and muslims had forgotten the precepts of their religions) word spread that Guru Nanak had reappeared. The declaration made Nawab Daulat Khan and his Qazi fearful. The Nawab asked the Guru to explain whether his Qazi was not a true muslim. The Guru described the traits of a true muslim:
"He who is firm in his faith,
Has a right to be called a muslim.
His acts must be in accord with his faith in Prophet,
He must clean his heart of his pride and greed,
Not troubled by the two impostors - life and death,
Resigned to the Will of God;
Knowing Him as the Doer,
Free himself from the self, and
Be compassionate towards all beings, O Nanak,
Such a one may call himself a muslim."
(Majh ki Var Mohalla 1, Ang 141)
The Nawab then asked the Guru, "If there is no difference between the hindus and the muslims, why don't you join us in our Namaz (muslim prayer)?" The Guru agreed to join them to take part in their prayer in the mosque where Qazi led the Namaz. When Namaz was offered, the Qazi and the Nawab both stood, kneeled and bowed in their prayer but the Guru remained standing.
After the Namaz was over, the Qazi said,"Why did you not take part in the prayer?" The Guru replied, "I did take part in the prayer but both of you did not." Then he explained, "While the Qazi performed the service, he remembered that there was a well in his courtyard, and his mind was filled with apprehension lest his newly-born filly should fall in the well. The Qazi's mind was, therefore, not present in the prayer. Also while the Nawab was pretending to pray, his mind was set on purchasing horses in Kabul."
Both admitted the truth of Guru's statements and the Nawab cried aloud to the Qazi, "Can you not see Khuda (God) speaking to us through Nanak?" The muslims perform five Namaz at five different times a day. The Guru addressed the meaning and virtue of Namaz:
"You say five prayers, five times a day,
With five different names;
But if Truth be thy first prayer,
The second to honestly earn your daily living,
The third to give in God's name,
Purity of mind by thy fourth prayer,
And praise and prayer to God thy fifth;
If thou practiseth these five virtues,
And good deeds be thine Kalma- the article of faith,
Then thy can call thyself a true muslim.
By mere hypocrisy, O Nanak,
A man is deemed false through and through."
(Majh ki Var Mohalla 1, Ang 141)
Guru Nanak never asked muslims or hindus to become his disciples in order to join with God. Instead Guru Nanak told the muslims to become a true muslims and hindus to become a true hindus in order to get salvation.
Associated with Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji.
At this site, divining how the Nawab and the Qazi were only outwardly going through the ritual with their minds engrossed in worldly thoughts, Guru Nanak stood aside.
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