The multi-faith society and interfaith relationships — Sikhism

What the specification asks for

Paper 1, Section 4, 4.4 (Sikhism). Assessed on AO1 (knowledge and understanding) and AO2 (analysis and evaluation), weighted equally. Incandio is aligned to this specification. It is not published by, endorsed by or affiliated with Pearson, and it reproduces none of Pearson's indicative content — the point numbers are given so you can check every unit against your own copy.

1 · Understand it

The Sikh scripture contains compositions by Hindu and Muslim saints, placed alongside the Gurus' own and treated with identical reverence. No other scripture on this specification includes another religion's holy people as scripture. A Sikh cannot read their own book without reading a Muslim and a Hindu.

What it means

Guru Nanak's first recorded statement after his revelation is traditionally reported as there being no Hindu and no Musalman, and the tradition reads it as a claim about labels rather than as a denial of either religion. Reading it as declaring both faiths false is a misunderstanding, and a common one.

The bhagat bani are the compositions of Hindu and Muslim saints — Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas and the Muslim Sheikh Farid among them — included in the Guru Granth Sahib. It is the strongest interfaith fact available on this specification because it is structural rather than declaratory.

Sikhism does not seek converts. It accepts anyone who wishes to become Sikh and does not go looking, and the daily prayer asks for the welfare of all rather than for the spread of the faith. That follows from holding that God can be reached by many names.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed for defending the right of Hindus to practise their religion, which Sikhs cite as the interfaith commitment in its costliest form. And the same distinction as before has to be kept: a multi-faith society is about religion, a multi-ethnic society about ethnicity, and they are examined separately.

Why believers hold it

The reasoning is that if God is one and the divine light is in everyone, then the labels people carry cannot determine their standing. Sikhism therefore treats other traditions as containing truth without holding that all traditions are the same — which is exactly why the scripture includes other voices and why Sikh teaching still makes definite claims of its own.

The precise word for that position is inclusivist rather than pluralist. Sikhism does not say all religions are equally true; it says God can be reached by many names, and it goes on stating what the opening of its own scripture states about God. Saying so precisely is what separates a strong answer from a vague one about tolerance.

The inclusion of the bhagat bani should be read carefully in the same spirit. The compositions were selected for compatibility with Sikh teaching, so the inclusion recognises truth in them rather than endorsing those traditions as they understand themselves — which is a more interesting claim than a blanket approval and a more defensible one.

The objection that Sikh history contains serious religious conflict is real and should be met rather than avoided. The Gurus fought Mughal forces, and the reply worth making is that the conflicts were with a state persecuting religious minorities and that the Gurus' stated cause was religious freedom rather than religious supremacy — which is consistent with the ninth Guru's death.

Where it comes from

• The Guru Granth Sahib — The Mul Mantar, opening of the Guru Granth Sahib (Japji Sahib) (translated)

  Ik Onkar — There is one God, the eternal truth, the creator, without fear, without hatred.

  The opening statement of Sikh belief: one God, eternal, creator, beyond fear and enmity, self-existent, known by grace.

  What it is doing here: States the definite claims about God that Sikhism goes on making, which is what shows the position to be inclusivist rather than a claim that all traditions say the same thing.

• Sikh liturgy — The closing words of the Ardas, the Sikh congregational prayer (translated)

  Sarbat da bhala — may all people prosper.

  The Ardas ends by asking good not for Sikhs but for everyone. Universal concern is built into the daily prayer.

  What it is doing here: Asks good for everybody rather than for the spread of the faith, which is the liturgical form of not seeking converts.

• Sikh teaching — Nam Japna, Kirat Karni, Vand Chhakna — taught by Guru Nanak (translated)

  Remember God, work honestly, share with others.

  The three duties of a Sikh, held together: devotion, honest labour and sharing. Sikhism rejects withdrawal from the world.

  What it is doing here: Sets out a programme that says nothing about recruiting anybody, which is why Sikh engagement with other communities takes the form of service rather than persuasion.

Where it bites

It shows in the Guru Granth Sahib containing the verses of Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas and Sheikh Farid; in gurdwaras serving a free meal to anyone; in Sikh participation in interfaith bodies in Britain; in Sikh relief work regardless of the recipients' religion; and in the annual commemoration of Guru Tegh Bahadur. The wording asks for examples of interfaith relationships in practice, so one has to be named.

It also changes what a Sikh contribution to an interfaith conversation looks like. The tradition arrives holding definite views and already containing other traditions' voices in its own scripture, which is a different starting position from either agreement or negotiation.

What people get wrong

People think: Guru Nanak's saying declares Hinduism and Islam false.

Actually: The tradition reads it as rejecting the sufficiency of the labels rather than the religions themselves, which is why the scripture that follows contains Hindu and Muslim voices. Reading it as a denial produces an account of Sikh interfaith teaching that the rest of the tradition immediately contradicts.

People think: Sikhism holds all religions to be equally true.

Actually: It recognises truth in other traditions while making definite claims of its own about God, which is inclusivism rather than relativism. The opening of the Sikh scripture states things other traditions deny, so an answer describing Sikhism as holding all religions identical has misread it.

People think: This unit is about ethnic diversity.

Actually: A multi-faith society is about religion and a multi-ethnic society about ethnicity, and the examiners record the confusion by name. The material here is scripture, conversion, dialogue and religious freedom, and answering with racial harmony material addresses the previous point instead.

What the examiner expects you to understand

• Name the Hindu and Muslim saints in the scripture; it is the strongest fact in this unit.
• Read Guru Nanak's saying as rejecting labels rather than as denying either religion.
• Say inclusivist rather than pluralist, and explain the difference in a clause.
• Give Guru Tegh Bahadur as the commitment in its costliest form.
• Check that the question is about faith and not ethnicity before starting.

2 · Grade 9 Notes

Core belief / issue

Guru Nanak's first recorded statement after his revelation is traditionally reported as there being no Hindu and no Musalman — and Sikh tradition treats it as a claim about labels rather than a denial of either religion. Sikhism does not seek converts, holds that God can be reached by many names, and its Guru died defending another religion's freedom.

Key terminology

Incandio's mark schemes credit the religion's own vocabulary; spelling variants are accepted, a vague paraphrase is not.

Sarbat da bhala

The welfare of all; the universalist petition closing the Ardas.

Bhagat bani (also bhagat bani)

The compositions of Hindu and Muslim saints included in the Guru Granth Sahib alongside the Gurus'.

Interfaith dialogue

Structured conversation between traditions aimed at understanding and cooperation.

Guru Tegh Bahadur

The ninth Guru, executed for defending the religious freedom of Hindus.

Conversion (also amrit sanchar (initiation))

Sikhism accepts anyone who wishes to become Sikh and does not seek converts.

What Sikhism teaches

• shared — Guru Nanak's saying that there is no Hindu and no Musalman is traditionally understood as rejecting labels rather than either faith.
• shared — The Guru Granth Sahib contains the compositions of Hindu and Muslim saints alongside those of the Gurus, which is unique among the six scriptures.
• shared — Sikhism does not seek converts, and the Ardas asks for the welfare of all rather than for the spread of the faith.
• shared — Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed for defending the right of Hindus to practise their religion, which Sikhs cite as the tradition's interfaith commitment in its costliest form.

Why it teaches this

The reasoning is that if God is one and the divine light is in everyone, then the labels people carry cannot determine their standing. Sikhism therefore treats other traditions as containing truth without holding that all are the same — which is why the Guru Granth Sahib includes Hindu and Muslim voices and why Sikh teaching still makes definite claims of its own.

Sources of authority

• Sikh tradition — Attributed to Guru Nanak by tradition (the janamsakhi accounts); NOT located in the Guru Granth Sahib (translated)

  There is no Hindu, there is no Musalman.

  The words traditionally said to have been spoken by Guru Nanak after his experience at the river, understood as declaring that religious labels do not determine standing before God.

  How to use it: Its force is about the origin of Sikhism as something new rather than a blend, which is what Paper 2 at 1.1 asks about.

  What it does not settle: Traditional attribution. It is also frequently misread as saying all religions are the same, which Sikh teaching does not hold.

• Sikh teaching — The Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal Guru; declared by Guru Gobind Singh, 1708 (translated)

  The Guru Granth Sahib is the eternal, living Guru.

  The tenth Guru ended the line of human Gurus and vested authority in the scripture itself, which is why it is treated as a living person — installed, attended, and put to rest.

  How to use it: That the book IS the Guru explains everything about how it is treated: the chauri, the palki, the manji sahib, and why no Sikh sits higher than it.

  What it does not settle: It settles where authority lies, not how a passage should be interpreted in a given case.

• Sikh liturgy — The closing words of the Ardas, the Sikh congregational prayer (translated)

  Sarbat da bhala — may all people prosper.

  The Ardas ends by asking good not for Sikhs but for everyone. Universal concern is built into the daily prayer.

  How to use it: A prayer that asks for the welfare of all makes universal concern a habit of worship rather than a policy — which is a strong development on interfaith and human rights.

  What it does not settle: It expresses an attitude rather than settling any particular question.

• The Guru Granth Sahib — The Mul Mantar, opening of the Guru Granth Sahib (Japji Sahib) (translated)

  Ik Onkar — There is one God, the eternal truth, the creator, without fear, without hatred.

  The opening statement of Sikh belief: one God, eternal, creator, beyond fear and enmity, self-existent, known by grace.

  How to use it: It is the first thing in the scripture and the summary of the whole of it, which is why Sikh answers about God can be grounded in one place.

  What it does not settle: Uncontested among Sikhs, so it distinguishes no group from another.

Different interpretations

• Guru Nanak's saying read as declaring both religions false and read as declaring the labels insufficient; the second is the tradition's reading and the first is a misunderstanding.
• The inclusion of bhagat bani read as endorsing other traditions and read as recognising truth wherever the compilers found it; the second is more careful, since the compositions were selected.
• Non-conversion read as tolerance and read as a consequence of holding that anyone may reach God; the second is the doctrinal reason and the first is its effect.

Differences within Sikhism

Sikh teaching on other faiths is not disputed within the community. What varies is engagement with particular interfaith bodies, which is practical rather than doctrinal.

The traditions broadly agree here. Saying so is a stronger answer than inventing a division.

Application to the issue

It shows in the Guru Granth Sahib containing the verses of Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas and the Muslim Sheikh Farid; in gurdwaras serving langar to anyone; in Sikh participation in interfaith bodies in Britain; in Khalsa Aid's work regardless of the recipients' religion; and in the annual commemoration of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Arguments supporting

• Including other traditions' saints in scripture is the strongest possible interfaith statement. — No other scripture on this specification contains the compositions of another religion's holy people. (sikhism)
  Answered by: The compositions were selected for compatibility with Sikh teaching, so the inclusion recognises truth in them rather than endorsing the traditions as they understand themselves.
• Not seeking converts removes the structural motive for religious conflict. — Sikhism accepts anyone who comes and does not go looking. (shared)
  Answered by: Sikh history contains substantial religious conflict, which shows the absence of a missionary motive is not sufficient.

Arguments challenging

• Sikhism still makes exclusive claims. — The Mool Mantar states definite things about God that other traditions deny. (non-religious)
  Answered by: Sikhism does not claim all religions are the same; it claims God can be reached by many names, which is inclusivism rather than relativism — and saying so precisely is what a good answer does.
• Sikh history includes serious religious conflict. — The Gurus fought Mughal forces and Sikh history contains substantial communal violence. (non-religious)
  Answered by: The conflicts were with a state persecuting religious minorities, and the Gurus' own stated cause was religious freedom rather than religious supremacy.

Secular / non-religious perspective

Humanists support a plural society with a neutral state and welcome interfaith cooperation while regarding conversion efforts with suspicion. They would find Sikhism among the most congenial of the six, since it seeks no converts and its scripture contains other traditions' voices.

Examinable throughout Paper 1. Nothing here earns a mark on Paper 2.

Evaluation

The hinge: Whether including other traditions' voices amounts to accepting them. Sikhism's scripture makes this a concrete question rather than an abstract one.

Defensible conclusions

• The inclusion of Hindu and Muslim saints in the Guru Granth Sahib is the strongest interfaith fact on this specification, because it is structural rather than declaratory.
• Sikhism is inclusivist rather than relativist — truth is recognised elsewhere and definite claims are still made — and saying so precisely is more accurate than calling it pluralist.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur's death is the commitment in its costliest form, and it is what distinguishes Sikh interfaith teaching from a merely tolerant one.

Not defensible

• Reading Guru Nanak's saying as declaring Hinduism and Islam false; the tradition reads it as rejecting labels.
• Confusing a multi-faith society with a multi-ethnic one, which the examiners name.

Exam use

• Identify · 3 marks — Three ways Sikhs work with other faiths, or three Sikh beliefs about other religions.
• Outline · 4 marks — Two developed. 'The Guru Granth Sahib contains Hindu and Muslim saints' verses (1) — so other traditions' voices are inside Sikh scripture rather than outside it (1).'
• Explain · 6 marks — Explain Sikh attitudes to other religions: Guru Nanak's saying, the bhagat bani, the absence of conversion, and Guru Tegh Bahadur's example.
• Evaluate · 12 marks — 'All religions should be treated as equally true.' Sikhism recognises truth elsewhere without saying all are the same, which is the precise position.

Common mistakes

• Reading Guru Nanak's saying as declaring both religions false.
• Confusing multi-faith with multi-ethnic.
• Presenting Sikhism as holding all religions identical, which the Mool Mantar contradicts.

“A multi-faith society and a multi-ethnic society are the same thing.” — One is about religion, the other about ethnicity. They are two different specification points with two different sets of arguments, and the papers examine them separately.

Write instead: A multi-ethnic society contains people of different ethnic backgrounds (4.3, racial harmony, prejudice, discrimination). A multi-faith society contains people of different religions and none (4.4, proselytisation, exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism). They overlap in practice and prejudice can run along both lines at once — but the terminology the question uses tells you which one is being marked. (Named in the 2022 examiner report for Paper 1.)

“Sikhism is a mixture of Hinduism and Islam.” — Sikhs hold that the faith is a distinct revelation given to Guru Nanak, not a synthesis. Describing it as a blend denies the tradition its own account of its origin.

Write instead: Sikhism began with Guru Nanak's revelation. It shares vocabulary with the traditions around it — karma, samsara, mukti — while teaching its own doctrine of one God, the ten Gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib. The traditional saying 'there is no Hindu, there is no Musalman' is often misread as endorsing a blend; it is better read as declaring that the labels do not decide standing before God.

Grade 9 insight

The Guru Granth Sahib contains compositions by Hindu and Muslim saints, placed alongside the Gurus' own and treated with identical reverence. A Level 4 answer notices how extraordinary that is: no other scripture on this specification includes another religion's holy people as scripture. It makes Sikh interfaith commitment structural — a Sikh cannot read their own scripture without reading a Muslim and a Hindu — rather than a matter of attitude, and it is the strongest single fact available in this unit.

Carry on through Sikhism

• Previous unit: 4.3 · The multi-ethnic society and racial harmony
• Next unit: 4.5 · Relationships between rich and poor
• The multi-faith society and interfaith relationships in the other religions: Buddhism · Christianity · Hinduism · Islam · Judaism
• All of Sikhism · Incandio Religious Studies · The 4RS1 specification