In the previous blog, we explored the spiritual dialogue between Baba Nanak and Shah Sharaf, where the true essence of fakiri (spiritual humility) was revealed.
Now we move to the next phase – Baba Nanak’s sacred journey to Mecca, where he exposed many spiritual truths, uncovering nifaq (hypocrisy, two-faced religious pretension) and the discrimination happening in the name of religion.
Upon arriving in Mecca, Baba Nanak first encountered a man named Jeevan, a humble cleaner. Jeevan, much like a dervish, recognized Baba Nanak’s divine light and spiritual depth through the purity of his own heart. Deeply impacted by Baba Ji’s humility, spiritual presence, and wisdom, Jeevan gestured toward the people of Mecca and said:
“O dervish! These pilgrims from your Hind (India) have come here and even confused the people of the Kaaba!”
While this conversation was taking place, Qazi Ruknuddin, the renowned Mufti of Mecca, arrived for prayer (namaz) and greeted Baba Nanak respectfully. Baba Ji returned the greeting and said:
“Qazi Sahib, we have travelled across thousands of miles just to meet you. We have spoken with people of many faiths and, in accordance with God’s will, have abandoned (mansukh – rejected or transformed) false practices. Now, reading more is not necessary — it is righteous action that truly matters. Following the Divine command through action is the real truth.”
Baba Nanak clarified that in these end times, salvation is not possible without righteous deeds. Speaking to the Qazi, he emphasized that recognizing truth itself is true faith, not blind loyalty to a particular sect or dogma.
“Every religion may be complete in its own path. But if one rejects others, they stray from God’s path.”
Baba Ji’s words, rooted in divine love and equality, deeply impacted Qazi Ruknuddin. However, at that moment, Mullah Jeevan, became angry and shouted:
“Soorah laga parhn!” (“Start reciting the Surah!” — a metaphor for showing religious ego by loudly reciting scripture)
This marked the beginning of a spiritual debate between Mullah Jeevan and Baba Nanak. Mullah Jeevan posed several proud but essential questions, which Baba Nanak answered with great spiritual depth and compassion.
Questions from Mullah Jeevan
He said, “First of all, one must praise God. There is only one God — without any partner. After Him are the prophets and messengers. Then come the four companions, whose names must be recited in the Kalma — only then is faith accepted. All of this is written from the beginning.”
He continued,
“Only the one who has recited the Kalma is considered pure. When the angel Azra’il comes to take the soul, and the Day of Judgment arrives, everyone will be questioned. The world will be destroyed, the earth and skies will shake, and only the spiritually elevated will rise.”
Mullah Jeevan further said,
“Even the Qazi, Mufti, prophets, and messengers will stand before God. The judgment won’t be from books — it will be based on actions. Those who asked questions in this world will have to give answers there.”
Those who hear the call to prayer but still don’t get up for prayer are impure. They will be rejected from God’s court. Better are those who stay awake at night remembering God — they are the fortunate ones.
But those who live in disbelief, who engage in immoral acts with women, who do not value time or life — they will suffer in hell. Azra’il will come to take them away.
The trumpet (Soor) will be blown. Drinking alcohol, using intoxicants — all these are sins. The one who follows his own ego and desires will fall into misery.
Finally, Mullah Jeevan said to Guru Nanak:
“You are following the path of the self (ego) — for someone like you, there can only be punishment.”
Answer of Baba Nanak – To Mullah Jeevan
Baba Nanak, while praising the Divine, said:
“God is One – Wahid La Shareek – the One with no partner or equal. Counting avatars (incarnations) or prophets is like questioning the vast creation of the Almighty. This creation of 8.4 million life forms – humans, animals, birds, plants – all are His manifestations. And chanting His Name is the only true path.”
God is the One, the All-Powerful, the Pure. Many prophets came through His command, but only those with pure intentions are worthy of reaching His divine court.
“Jeevan,” Baba said,
“if your intentions are truthful, then the door of the Divine Court opens for you. Everything is already written by that One Pure Creator. There is no second – what existed before has perished too.”
No Mufti (religious scholar) holds the right to speak for God, nor is there a friend who can answer in His place. The Qazi, the Mufti – all are humans. Only God opens the Book and does the accounting Himself. He alone forgives or punishes.
There is only One God – who has neither mother nor father. Just as a goldsmith melts silver and separates the pure from the impure, God too will judge humanity. The impure will be turned to dust, and the pure will merge into His divine treasure. The truthful shall be embraced by Him; the false shall be turned to ash.
Nanak says to Jeevan,
“Speak the True Name of Allah from your mouth.” Because on the Day of Judgment (Mahshar), all truths will be revealed.
That day, neither Muftis nor Qazis will be saved – for the only Judge will be God Himself. There will be no exceptions. Those who committed sins will be summoned and judged. The guilty shall fall into hellfire, chained at the neck, their faces darkened in shame.
Those who lived righteously will be counted among the pure souls. The wrongdoers will meet their end. True Sufis – those who acted rightly – will sit and offer counsel in His presence. There will be no other authority left; only God will remain as the Witness.
Those who acted truthfully will be granted eternal life (Ajr – divine reward). Nanak says – only those shall be saved who found a true guide (Murshid) and took shelter under His protection.
Who is a True Muslim?
Becoming a true Muslim is not easy; only one who truly lives by those values can rightfully be called a Muslim.
First and foremost, one must deeply love their faith. Then, they should share their earnings — earned through honesty — with those in need. Walk the path shown by your faith sincerely, and end the wandering of your life. Accept the will of the Divine with full submission and eliminate your ego.
Only then, says Nanak, by loving all of God’s creation, can one be truly called a Muslim.
O brother! Let compassion be your mosque, faith be your prayer mat, and honest living be your Qur’an.
Let modesty, free from desires, be your circumcision, and a good character be your fasting.
Let noble conduct be your Kaaba, truth your spiritual guide, and let righteous actions be your prayer and Kalma (declaration of faith).
Let the words that please God be your rosary. O Nanak! God protects the honor of such a true Muslim.
O Nanak! To take away someone else’s rightful share is like eating pork for a Muslim or beef for a Hindu. A Guru or a Prophet only intercedes for a soul when they have not violated the rights of others.
Just speaking religious words will not grant one paradise — salvation comes only through truthful deeds.
No matter how much you try to disguise forbidden (haram) wealth with appearances, it can never become pure (halal).
O Nanak! Speaking falsehood only results in gathering more falsehood.
Those who have realized the truth will eventually reach heaven (paradise).
Those who truly love the truth always earn and eat honestly.
They do not force others, nor do they consider anyone superior or inferior.
This teaching is a universal message — a wise and spiritual lesson for both Hindus and Muslims alike.
Advice to Hindus – Guru Nanak’s Message
O Pandit (Hindu priest), if you truly have a sacred thread (janeyu) made of compassion as cotton, contentment as the thread, self-control as the knot, and truth as the twist, then place that around my neck.
Such a thread never breaks, never gets dirty, never burns, and never gets lost.
O Nanak, blessed are those who wear such a thread and live accordingly.
But what do you do?
You purchase a thread worth a few coins, sit in a ceremonial square, and put it on.
You whisper instructions in the ears of others and call yourself a Guru or a Brahmin.
But when the person dies, that thread falls off, and the soul departs without it.
One commits hundreds of thefts, lies, adulteries, slanders, and cheats—and yet still goes to the Brahmin to have this ritual thread tied.
A goat is slaughtered as an offering, and everyone declares that thread sacred.
When the thread wears out, it is thrown away, and a new one is put on.
But Nanak says:
Only the inner thread of spiritual connection can never be broken.
If one truly trusts in the Name of God, their honor increases.
They constantly praise the Creator, and that praise is the real thread.
Such a person is accepted in the Divine Court. Their spiritual thread never breaks.
The thread is never placed on the senses—not on the body parts that engage in desires, not on women, not on the feet, not on the hands, tongue, or eyes—yet all these are the organs that perform action.
And still, the ritual thread that hangs near the neck or beard becomes physically impure every day—but is considered “sacred.” What an irony!
The one who ties the thread doesn’t wear it themselves but ties it on others. Religious functionaries conduct marriages and guide rituals for money and papers, not spiritual truth. O people, listen and observe—this is the great contradiction. The mind remains blind, yet proudly calls itself “wise.”
Spiritual Blindness in Both Faiths
The Hindu has not truly worn the sacred thread of inner purity, and the Muslim has not truly embraced spiritual righteousness.
Both have become trapped in rituals and external practices, having strayed from the path, and as a result, evil dominates their lives.
Those Hindus who engage in religious gatherings may appear outwardly devoted, but inside, they are bound by customs—not the fear and awe of the Divine. Whether sitting in temples or outside, their spiritual leadership is hollow.
The ritual thread of the Hindu is easy to break.
But for the Muslim—bound by three strict laws of Sharia—it’s harder to abandon those traditions.
Both are like reeds growing on the riverbank: they appear close to the water (truth), but never step into it.
They remain attached to labels, far from spiritual freedom.
Hindus won’t break their thread traditions, and if a Muslim steps out of his, he’s labeled a kafir.
But Guru Nanak says:
Only by performing truthful actions, living in God’s will, and giving up false ego can one attain liberation.
If someone dies clinging to rituals, they will continue the cycle of rebirth.
But if they die truthfully, they are freed forever.
Rituals like circumcision or sacred threads are only heard about; their spiritual essence is missing. People believe that without such rituals, they can’t be Hindu or Muslim. But these are cultural expectations, not ways to reach God.
Muslims circumcise, and Hindus pierce their ears according to tradition.
Both enforce their practices—yet neither lead to true spiritual realization.
These are external actions, not inner transformation.
Guru Nanak rises above these limitations and directly says:
If you are bound only to customs, you will not be accepted in the Court of God. Whether Hindu or Muslim—both are stuck in labels.
In this age (Kalyug), people have become spiritually exhausted, obsessed with formality.
That’s why Nanak proposes a third path—the path of truth and righteous action. This is the path that truly leads a soul to Divine Union, peace, and liberation.
Hearing this, Qazi Ruknuddin was left astonished. A desire awakened within him to engage further with Guru Nanak — not just a debate on religion, but a deeper conversation about true humanity……
Teachings of Guru Nanak 
Leave a comment