"Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submitting to God."  A person who follows the teachings of Islam is called a Muslim: "One who submits to God and finds peace in him."  Specifically, Muslims are adherents of Islam who submit to the will of God.  Islamic belief is captured in their creed, the Shahada, which states: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammed is his prophet."  This unit will further examine the origin, beliefs, and practices of modern-day Islam.

SC1.05 - demonstrate an understanding of the foundational role of the prophet Muhammad in the story of Islam and the importance of the Qur’an in the faith and life decisions of Muslims;

PF1.03 - demonstrate an understanding of the human search for meaning and purpose as found in the belief systems of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;

CM1.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the role morality plays in the human search for meaning and purpose;

CM3.07 - suggest both traditional and contemporary examples of moral living as found in the various religions of the world;

RB1.02 - identify the major influences in the development of various religions (e.g., social unrest, advances in technology, changing mores.

RB3.01 - Categorize the practices and rituals of various religions (e.g., almsgiving, asceticism, atonement, anointing, covenant, sacrifice, holy days, dietary laws, vision);

RB3.02 - Identify the origin and significance of various practices, rituals, symbols, and festivals;

RB3.03 - Demonstrate an understanding of the role of sign and symbol in Islam.

RB3.04 – Demonstrate an understanding of important rituals and milestones in Islam.

RB3.05 – Demonstrate an understanding of the life of Mohammed.

PSV.03 - understand the role of symbol, ritual, and celebration in the formation of religious communities;

RBV.04 - demonstrate how practice, ritual, and symbolism are external representations of the beliefs and principles of religion;

SSV.02 - analyse the influence of religion on artistic expression.

You are required to answer all questions found throughout this unit using the Answer Recording Sheet found below.  Download and save it to your Google Docs and work on your answers as you go through this page.  You will need to print the questions and your answers as part of your unit submission.

Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of South Asia, which now falls into the present day states of India and Pakistan. The main religions of the area at the time were Hinduism and Islam.

The Sikh faith began around 1500 CE, when Guru Nanak began teaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam.

Nine Gurus followed Nanak and developed the Sikh faith and community over the next centuries.

The origins of Sikhism may be traced to a part of Punjab which is located in modern day Pakistan where the Sikhism faith originated with its founder First Guru Nanak Dev in the early 1500's. Born into a Hindu family living in the village of Talwandi of Punjab, (now modern day Nankana Sahib of Pakistan), Guru Nanak began to question the rituals that he observed going around him from an early age.

As a child, Nanak spent countless hours deep in meditation on the divine. From the first his elder sister Bibi Nanaki recognized the deep spiritual nature of her brother. His father, however, often scolded him for laziness. The village headman Rai Bullar witnessed several miraculous incidents, and became convinced that Nanak had the blessing of the Divine. He urged Nanak's father to give his son an education. During his school years Nanak astounded his teachers with poetic compositions reflecting his spiritual outlook.

As Nanak matured and approached manhood, his father arranged a coming of age ceremony for him. Nanak refused to participate in the Hindu thread tying ceremony. He insisted that such rituals held no real spiritual value. When his father attempted to get him started in business, Nanak used his money to feed the hungry. Nanak told his exasperated father that he had gotten a good bargain for his money.

All the while Nanak continued to focus on worshiping one creative being. Nanak's acquaintance with Mardana, a Muslim bard goes deep into the heart of Sikhism's origins. Though their religions differed, they discovered shared philosophies and a common love of the divine. Meditating together, Nanak and Mardana communed with creator and creation. As their understanding of the divine nature developed, their spiritual relationship deepened.

Nanak's parents arranged a marriage for him, and he began a family. Rai Bullar helped to arrange employment for Nanak. He relocated to Sultanpur where his sister Nanaki lived with her husband, and took a government job distributing grain. About the time he turned 30, Nanak spiritually awoke to state of complete enlightenment, and became formally recognized as Guru. With Mardana as his spiritual companion, Nanak took leave from his family and set out on a mission to share the truths revealed to him. Professing a belief in one creator, he preached against idolatry, and the caste system.

The singular spiritual illumination that Guru Nanak imparted passed through a succession of Ten Sikh Gurus, culminating with Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak established a foundation of three golden rules, upon which each of his successors built. Over the centuries, the Sikh Gurus forged a spiritual path of enlightenment known the world over as Sikhism. 

The Sikh worldview centers around the idea of oneness. Sikhs believe that people of all faiths worship one Divine Being who created this world and lives within it. The notion of divine presence leads to the belief that the Divine is equally present in all people, and that, therefore, every human being is equal in the eyes of God. From the Sikh perspective, there are no theological grounds to discriminate against people on the basis of their social identities, whether gender, caste, ethnicity, or otherwise. For example, as Sikhs believe all people are equal, the Sikh community does not have clergy or priests; each person can connect with the Creator directly and all positions of leadership and authority in Sikh religious and political life are open to people of all backgrounds.

The Five Ks

Sikh men in America and throughout the world are easily recognized because of their turbans, flowing beards and stainless steel wristbands. The turban is worn in fulfillment of one of the basic vows of Sikhs—not to cut the hair, but to let it grow naturally as a sign of complete dedication, body and soul, to God. Both men and women keep this vow, women wearing a long head scarf called a chunni and men wearing the turban.

This marker of Sikh identity is but one of what are called the “Five K’s” kept by Sikhs, each one of which begins with the letter “k” in Punjabi:

In 1699, the Sikhs, besieged with troubles and at war with the Mughal government of northern India, rallied around Guru Gobind Singh. At this time, Guru Gobind Singh performed the Sikh initiation ceremony, creating an intensely dedicated group of Sikhs willing to give their all for the Sikh community. It was called the Khalsa. The unwavering observance of the Five K’s became the mark of the Khalsa, and, by aspiration, that of the whole Sikh community. Many Sikhs have not taken initiation into the Khalsa, but still keep these distinctive emblems of Sikh identity. 

 Guru Granth Sahib

The main Holy book in Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib. This book contains the teachings of all Gurus, and hass been identically printed since the first copy, containing the same amount of pages, same words, and same paper size to preserve it. It has over 3000 hymns and instructions to lead a good Sikh life. The book starts with a statement defining the Sikh belief:

“There is one God. He is the Truth. He is the creator, and is without fear or hate. He is beyond time, is not born, and does not die to be born again. He is known by his graces.” 

Be sure to complete the UNIT COMPLETION ASSESSMENT and consult with your teacher BEFORE you continue on to the Second Unit Task.

Choose one of the following task ideas below to demonstrate your learning and complete this unit.  It is always advisable to consult with your teacher while you work on this task to ensure you are meeting the expectations and getting the best possible mark.  Be sure that all of your work is properly cited with appropriate analysis.  As Mary Ward is a Self-Directed Learning system, you may also create and develop your own task in consultation with your teacher.

1. SELF DIRECT!  Always recommended!  Choose one topic in this unit that you were particularly interested in (i.e. Symbols, Rituals, History, Beliefs, etc . . . or a topic related to this unit that was not covered but worthy of exploring), then choose one style of presentation that you are confident with or would like to develop (i.e. written paragraph, website, documentary, video, slide presentation, art installation, podcast, etc . . . ) and consult/discuss with your teacher what the product will look like.  You also have the option to make the task interdisciplinary with another course(s), and/or do a group project.

OR

2. The Sikh 5Ks are 5 core principles of Sikhist beliefs.  Create 5 symbols in a similar fashion, that demonstrate your own personal principles of what it means to be a good person.  Each symbol must include an explanation descibing its meaning and/or function.

OR

3. Like the Buddha, or Jesus, Guru Nanak was alive and witnessing a significant moment in time where he was surrounded by a great deal of dogmatic practices and ignorance, and a lack of spiritual awareness.  Defend or refute the validity of this statement in a single paragraph using 3 different sources to support your point.  Cite all of your works properly within the text and in a Works Cited Page.

OR

4. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is the most sacred site in Sikhism that many devotees will take time in their lives to pay homage to.  This requires consistent donations for upkeep and service.  What places are sacred to you (be it a relative's home, a forest, a lake, etc . . . ) where you go to feel your own sense of spirituality, and what things do you do to sustain it?  What quotes, religious or not, help reaffirm your sense of "you" along with the physical place you like to visit?

You may provide an image with description and discuss why it is sacred to you along with the meaning of your quote. 

NOTE: All of your work must be properly cited.  Work that is not cited properly will be returned to you to be redone with a stronger sense of academic integrity. 

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Please see evaluation rubrics below for your task.  Consult with your teacher for any clarification regarding your evaluation.

Unit Completion Checklist

Be sure you have answered the following questions and completed the following tasks before submitting your unit to your teacher.  This checklist needs to be signed by the religion counter for your unit submission to be accepted.

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