Quora Answer: Why are There Similarities between Sufi Islam & Sikhism?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why are there many similarities between Sufi Islam and Sikhism?” 

Sikhism is a syncretic faith of Islam and Hinduism, a credible attempt to bridge the divide between two great faiths.  From Puratan Janamsakhi, the biography of Guru Nanak Nankana Swahib, the founder of Sikhism, which was composed two centuries after his death, we know that Guru Nanak was born in a Hindu family and had Muslim neighbours.  We know, from Sikh sources, that he served one of these Sufi shuyukh, although there is nothing in the text to explicitly state that he was a murid.  This is an inference.  We know, also, that he went to Makkah twice.  A Muslim would state that this was likely the haj, whereas Sikh scholars would state it is because he went there to spread the religion. 

From a textual examination, within the historical context, no one denies the strong influence of Muslim spiritual though in Sikhism.  Theologically, however, they have moved on from the Muslim concept of wahdat al-wujud and wahdat ash-shudud into pantheism.  This is distinct from the Muslim conception of monotheism.  Despite the many similarities between both religions, Sikhism has had a violent history with Islam.  The Muslim Mughal Empire persecuted them relentlessly as a heresy of Islam, and massacred entire populations.  Sikh religious leaders were killed.  This intolerance and violence continued to the Partition of British India.  This lead to passages in the Guru Granth Sahib such as the meat of the Muslims is haram to them.  This also shaped the development of the martial nature of the faith.  Thus, while there are many similarities, and perhaps a Muslim origin of Guru Nanak, which cannot be proven definitively, Sikhism is a distinct faith, and should be respected as such.