Conversations with practitioners of other religions can help us gain a fresh perspective on our own spiritual practices. Here’s one between a Muslim and a Sikh. By “Two Brown Girls”, Aaminah Patel and Seetal Kaur.
Thursday, 25th September 2014: We’ve always found that individuals who are seeking to learn more about their faith tend to stick to their own kind. Perhaps because becoming involved in religious cliques helps to forge a sense of identity and community.
One of the most popular posts on our blog, was about how we’re a part of two religious communities that don’t see eye-to-eye. Although we are both born, raised and now live in Britain, we are aware that from the 16th-century Mughal period and the 20th-century partition of India and Pakistan, to modern-day grooming cases of Sikh girls by Muslim men in England, centuries of tension have existed between the Muslim and Sikh communities both in South Asia and the diaspora.
Here’s our story on how our interfaith sisterhood helped us on our individual journeys to understand our religions, and created a deeper bond between us as friends.
Seetal’s story
I grew up in a community where there were so many negative associations made about Muslims. It was looked down upon to be associated with a Muslim and anyone who married one was instantly shamed. In many ways, the Sikh community tried to stay separate and wanted to be looked at differently from Muslims.
I suppose this could be because of the racism many brown people, regardless of faith, faced when they first migrated to England in the 1960s. People were labelled with what became a derogatory term, “Paki”, and riots took place in Bradford because of racial tension.
I witnessed gory and gruesome paintings in Gurdwaras [Sikh temple] depicting stories of how Mughal authorities tortured many of the Sikh Gurus. These were used to educate people about the history of bloodshed that Sikhs have battled through, but I couldn’t help that these kinds of images were just fuelling hatred.
At school I didn’t know any Muslims and although I’d read a little about Sufism, I didn’t know anything about Islam! Only when I went to university and met Aaminah did I actually begin to understand and reflect on not only her faith, but also my own.
I was intrigued about aspects of Islam that were similar, but also parts that were different. I remember the first time I heard Aaminah’s father reciting the Qur’an. It sounded so familiar to me. It had an intonation and rhythm that was very similar to someone reading from the Guru Granth Sahib [the central Sikh religious text] at the Gurdwara – a sound I’d heard ever since I could remember. Kneeling in prayer and touching the head to the ground is also a regular practice at the Gurdwara and I understood it as part of Sikh worship too.
One of the greatest experiences that really opened my eyes was visiting Aaminah’s family in India during Ramadan. I saw how solat and the masjid are such integral parts of everyday life, and expressions like “Alhamdulillah” or “Inshallah” are woven into everyday speech, making the remembrance of God in everything so natural.
After getting to know Aaminah, and going to events, talks, discussions and understanding more about Islam, I was able to sensitively question my family members whenever they did make a negative comment. Introducing Aaminah to my family helped to break stereotypes even further. In small ways, I believe that we are making a difference.
Aaminah’s story
When I met Seetal we bonded over our mutual passion for South Asian culture, and gradually both found ourselves drawn to Sufi poetry. I was enamoured by verses on divine love written by Kabir and Bulleh Shah, and was really surprised when Seetal showed me that the same poets were woven into the Guru Granth Sahib. I was confused. How could Sufi poetry possibly relate to Sikhism?
I, too, like my family and much of my community, thought Sikhism was all about alcohol and partying. But Seetal clarified the difference between aspects of Punjabi culture (cue the partying and alcohol) and the sober, simple life encouraged by the teachings of Sikh Gurus.
I observed various parts of her daily routine, such as her gradual move towards vegetarianism, which ultimately meant I changed my lifestyle too. As we cooked together, I had to cut out meat which I initially found really difficult. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised against eating too much meat, mentioning that it has “addictive qualities”, so for me, this was the perfect opportunity to start adhering to the sunnah of food.
I also witnessed Langar, where food is served in the Gurdwara to all visitors, regardless of religious background. This revealed the core concept in Sikhism of charity, something I instantly likened with zakat, and how important giving is in Islam. Langar happens daily, and I think that Muslim charities and organisations can learn so much on how to give back to the wider community by observing it.
Seetal’s thoughts on Islamic practices offered to me a fresh perspective on worship. After watching me pray, she mentioned solat reminded her of meditation. Soon after, she would meditate in her room whilst I prayed in mine. Her remark made me think about “meditation in prayer” and it was then that I looked into kushu’, or concentration in solat, and I began perceiving prayer as not only a form of worship, but also a moment of clarity and connection with Allah.
Aaminah outside a mosque
Seetal outside a Gurdwara
United in prayer
“A strong bond despite differing beliefs”
Ultimately we believe that it is about respect and open-mindedness for a different perspective on life. We may not agree on everything but our consideration for each other’s opinion allows us to have a strong bond despite having differing beliefs. In a way, it is healthy to have relationships with people who don’t always agree, as not only does it provide a fresh view on religion and spirituality, but it also encourages growth and keeps us from getting stuck in a narrow-minded way of life.
Through our relationship, we realised that the caricatures and stereotypes that exist of other religions and cultures can only come from a serious lack of knowledge about them. Taking up opportunities to exchange ideas with people of other faiths will allow us to tackle existing issues and ultimately, help to grow and nurture the concept of unity
Aaminah and Seetal are co-founders of a popular lifestyle blog, Two-BrownGirls, dedicated to sharing artistic expression, exploring spirituality and celebrating identity and culture