The following is a devotional hymn from the 'Shabad' or the 'Word' of
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism is in the common layman's language
of those days, and is still easily understood by anyone with an
average knowledge of Hindi or Urdu. It is titled 'Koi Bole Ram Ram'
and often sung in the Sikh temples. Here is its translation. It also
sung in Hindu or Muslim homes. There are plenty of such devotional
songs that are common, there were common saints for Muslims and
Hindus, and they are still worshiped today!!
The Hymn is as follows:
“koee bolai raam raam koee khudhaae ||
Some call the Lord ‘Ram, Ram’, and some ‘Khuda’.
koee saevai guseeaa koee alaahi ||1||
Some serve Him as ‘Gusain’, others as ‘Allah’.
kaaran karan kareem ||
He is the Cause of causes, and Generous.
kirapaa dhhaar reheem ||1||
He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us.
koee naavai theerathh koee haj jaae ||
Some pilgrims bathe at sacred shrines, others go on Hajj to Mecca.
koee karai poojaa koee sir nivaae ||2||
Some do devotional worship, whilst others bow their heads in prayer.
koee parrai baedh koee kathaeb ||
Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran.
koee oudtai neel koee supaedh ||3||
Some wear blue robes, and some wear white.
koee kehai thurak koee kehai hi(n)dhoo ||
Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu.
koee baashhai bhisath koee suragi(n)dhoo ||4||
Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven.
kahu naanak jin hukam pashhaathaa ||
Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of God’s Will,
prabh saahib kaa thin bhaedh jaathaa ||5||
knows the secrets of his Lord Master.”
Keep in mind, these are the words of the founders of Sikhism, who also raised a militant group to resist some of the conquering Muslim rulers. They knew and preached the same religious principles even though he resisted so-called Muslim rulers politically and in battle.
Such was the spirit of religious faith and principles in India even during the violence that historians write about - it was rulers and politicians as mischief makers then, just as now. The common people never go about wantonly killing each other over religion.
Most in India and Pakistan, are familiar with the musical maestro
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Wikipedia has this to say about him
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) (Urdu: نصرت فتح علی
خان) was a Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, the
devotional music of the Sufis. Considered as the greatest voice ever
recorded, he possessed an extraordinary range of vocal abilities
and could perform at a high level of intensity for several
hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family,
Khan is widely credited with introducing Qawwali music to
international audiences. He is popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-
Qawwali", meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali".
Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Khan had his first public performance at
age of 16, at his father's chelum. He became the head of the family
qawwali party in 1971. He was signed by Oriental Star Agencies,
Birmingham, England, in the early 1980s. Khan went on to release movie
scores and albums in Europe, India, Japan, Pakistan, and the U.S.A. He
engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists,
becoming a well-known world music artist. He toured extensively,
performing in over 40 countries.
The date was 31st December 1989, and at Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara(A
Sikh Temple) Slough UK , a Musilm was singing “Koi bole Ram Ram (A
Hindu God) “. For people present, there were no separate religions
“Allah was Ram” & “Ram was the Guru”. By performing this song, NFAK
proved that “music has no Religion” & “Religion could never bound
NFAK”. This pious though by NFAK truly justifies the following tribute
by a fan
'Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, when he sings, the GEETA, the KORAN, the
BIBLE,the Sri Guru Garanth Sahib Ji , all are turned into music…a
harmony with the existence …the godliness of the Universe can be
felt.'
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2015
All rights reserved
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism is in the common layman's language
of those days, and is still easily understood by anyone with an
average knowledge of Hindi or Urdu. It is titled 'Koi Bole Ram Ram'
and often sung in the Sikh temples. Here is its translation. It also
sung in Hindu or Muslim homes. There are plenty of such devotional
songs that are common, there were common saints for Muslims and
Hindus, and they are still worshiped today!!
The Hymn is as follows:
“koee bolai raam raam koee khudhaae ||
Some call the Lord ‘Ram, Ram’, and some ‘Khuda’.
koee saevai guseeaa koee alaahi ||1||
Some serve Him as ‘Gusain’, others as ‘Allah’.
kaaran karan kareem ||
He is the Cause of causes, and Generous.
kirapaa dhhaar reheem ||1||
He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us.
koee naavai theerathh koee haj jaae ||
Some pilgrims bathe at sacred shrines, others go on Hajj to Mecca.
koee karai poojaa koee sir nivaae ||2||
Some do devotional worship, whilst others bow their heads in prayer.
koee parrai baedh koee kathaeb ||
Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran.
koee oudtai neel koee supaedh ||3||
Some wear blue robes, and some wear white.
koee kehai thurak koee kehai hi(n)dhoo ||
Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu.
koee baashhai bhisath koee suragi(n)dhoo ||4||
Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven.
kahu naanak jin hukam pashhaathaa ||
Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of God’s Will,
prabh saahib kaa thin bhaedh jaathaa ||5||
knows the secrets of his Lord Master.”
Keep in mind, these are the words of the founders of Sikhism, who also raised a militant group to resist some of the conquering Muslim rulers. They knew and preached the same religious principles even though he resisted so-called Muslim rulers politically and in battle.
Such was the spirit of religious faith and principles in India even during the violence that historians write about - it was rulers and politicians as mischief makers then, just as now. The common people never go about wantonly killing each other over religion.
Most in India and Pakistan, are familiar with the musical maestro
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Wikipedia has this to say about him
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) (Urdu: نصرت فتح علی
خان) was a Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, the
devotional music of the Sufis. Considered as the greatest voice ever
recorded, he possessed an extraordinary range of vocal abilities
and could perform at a high level of intensity for several
hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family,
Khan is widely credited with introducing Qawwali music to
international audiences. He is popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-
Qawwali", meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali".
Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Khan had his first public performance at
age of 16, at his father's chelum. He became the head of the family
qawwali party in 1971. He was signed by Oriental Star Agencies,
Birmingham, England, in the early 1980s. Khan went on to release movie
scores and albums in Europe, India, Japan, Pakistan, and the U.S.A. He
engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists,
becoming a well-known world music artist. He toured extensively,
performing in over 40 countries.
The date was 31st December 1989, and at Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara(A
Sikh Temple) Slough UK , a Musilm was singing “Koi bole Ram Ram (A
Hindu God) “. For people present, there were no separate religions
“Allah was Ram” & “Ram was the Guru”. By performing this song, NFAK
proved that “music has no Religion” & “Religion could never bound
NFAK”. This pious though by NFAK truly justifies the following tribute
by a fan
'Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, when he sings, the GEETA, the KORAN, the
BIBLE,the Sri Guru Garanth Sahib Ji , all are turned into music…a
harmony with the existence …the godliness of the Universe can be
felt.'
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2015
All rights reserved
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