By concentrating on God's Name (or many titles), one conquers the ego and unites with God" (Islam in Sikhism, n.d.). The compilation of the Sikh scriptures began in 1604 by the Fifth Guru. The last of the ten Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, announced that he would be the last personal Guru and that after that Sikhs were to regard the Adi Granth as their teacher. This sacred book is thought to be the living embodiment of all ten Gurus and is therefore the focus of worship in all Sikh temples. The Adi Granth, though never claiming to be a revealed scripture, is made up of three main parts. A long poem by Nanak, that sums up the elements of Sikhism. A collection of Ragas, or songs that were written by the first five Gurus and a mixed collection of commentaries that elaborated on the Ragas together with hymns of many Hindu saints and Sufi mystics (Islam in Sikhism, n.d.).

Since the beginning of the Sikh religion the faith has been built upon the message of the oneness of Creation. Sikhism believes that an almighty God created the universe. He is believed to be creator and master of all forms of the universe, responsible for all modes of nature and all elements of the world. Sikhism firmly believes God to be the source of the birth, life and death of all things (Davis, 2007).

The great Kabir was born a Muslim but converted to Hinduism through the wisdom of Srila Ramananda. His spiritual path included elements from Islamic Sufism and various Hindu sects. Some of Kabir's hymns are contained in the Guru Granth Sahib. Some believed that Kabir may have been Guru Nanak's Guru. It was thought that the perfect Guru is illumined by God (Singh, 2008).

Sikhism emphasises the belief in One Supreme Being or Creator. It suggests a simple straight path to eternal bliss and spreads a message of love and universal brotherhood. Sikhs believe that the way to lead a good life is to do the following:

Keep God in heart and mind at all times

Live honestly and work hard

Treat everyone equally

Be generous to the less fortunate

Serve others (Sikhism, n.d.).

Sikhs try to avoid superstitious behaviour, and pilgrimages, statues, buildings, and blind rituals. Sikhism stresses social and sexual equality and stresses the importance of doing good actions rather than merely carrying out rituals. Sikhs believe that religion should be practiced by living in the world and coping with life's everyday problems. They don't approve of retreating from the world to be a monk or a hermit (Sikhism, n.d.).
Sikhism developed because of the differences in the caste system that existed in the 15th century. It also evolved because of the battle that existed between the Hinduism and Islam religions. The reformation of these religions resulted in Sikhism. It contains many elements that were brought to it from these other religions. The main purpose of the religion is to right the social injustices that existed when it was formed. It has done a very good job of continuing to work towards this goal over the years and will continue to do this for many years to come.

Works Cited

"7. Dalits -- on the Margins of Development" n.d. 4 October 2009,

Ali Nadwi, Syed Abul Hasan. 2008. "Islam and Civilization." 4 October 2009, <

http://muhammad.net/j/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=236&Itemid=50>

Davis, Geoff. 2007. 4 October 2009, <

http://www.enviropaedia.com/topic/default.php?topic_id=273>

"Islam in Sikhism." n.d. 4 October 2009, <

http://www.guidedones.com/metapage/non_muslims/prophsikh.htm>

"Overview of Sikhism." 2009. 4 October 2009,

"Sikhism." n.d. 4 October 2009, <

http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/20095/Sikhism.html>

"Sikhism." n.d. 4 October 2009, < http://www.experiencefestival.com/sikhism>

Singh, Arjan Kirpal. 2000. "The Universal Ideal of Sikhism." 4 October 2009,

Singh, Sat Kewal. 2008. "Sikhism the Path of the Masters (Sant Mat)." 4 October 2009, <

http://allfaith.com/Religions/Sikhism/sikh4.html>