Faith In God

Goindwal developed into a big city and the people of the area had great respect for Guru Amar Das. Thousands of people would arrive daily to pay homage to Guru Amar Das. People of all castes and creeds were settling at Goindwal. Guru Amar Das preached lessons of forgiveness and endurance, but his enemies only returned evil for the favours he had intended them. When Goindwal rose to importance some muslims of the Khoja caste settled there. Blinded by authority and wealth, the muslims deemed every one inferior to themselves.

The muslim settlers were worshippers of Sakhi Sarwar and, in those days, formed a majority in the region. Generally the Khojas were petty businessmen who aggressively pursued their business interests and sometimes turned to crime. When the Khojas saw that even muslims were embracing Sikhism they turned against the Guru.

Muslim Nuisance

The muslims could not tolerate the fame of Guru Amar Das, and caused him every form of annoyance. However, so far from desiring to take revenge, Guru Amar Das used prayer to try and soften the hearts of the muslims and guide them. When Sikhs went to fetch water for the Guru's kitchen, muslims boys were instigated to break the Sikhs earthen vessels with pellets and clods.

Whenever the Sikhs remonstrated, the muslims elders assaulted them. When the Sikhs, driven to extremities, complained to the Guru, he asked them, instead of fragile earthen vessels, to use goatskins which could not be so easily broken. This advice the Sikhs adopted, but the muslims pierced the goatskins with arrows, and continued to harass the Sikh water carriers as before.

The Sikhs asked how long they should bear the tyranny of the muslims. Guru Amar Das replied, "There is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater evil than greed, no greater virtue than mercy, and no more potent weapon than forgiveness. Whatever people sow, they shall reap. If they sow trouble, trouble shall be their harvest. If a person sows poison, they cannot expect ambrosia. If one ill-treats you, bear it three times, for the fourth time God will fight with you and destroy your enemy."

Guru Amar Das counselled his people to use brass utensils. These the muslims knocked off the bearers heads with bricks and stones, and drove the Sikhs to distraction. However much the muslims annoyed the Sikhs, Guru Amar Das never uttered a harsh word. On the contrary, Guru Amar Das prayed that God would remove the hate and religious rancour of the muslim hearts.

Divine Chastisement

A company of armed hindu Sanyasis arrived in Goindwal. As the muslim boys were discharging pellets at the Sikhs, one of the pellets knocked out the eye of the Sanyasis high priest. The Sanyasis became enraged, they seized the offending boy and beat him to death. Afterwards, there was a big fight between the Sanyasis and the muslims, in which arrows, swords, lances, daggers, and axes were used.

The Sanyasis invoked Dattatre (the founder of the Sanyasis) and the muslims invoked Ali (the son-in-law of Muhammad) to support them in the combat. Many men on both sides were slain, and among them several enemies of the Sikhs. The Sikhs regarded the destruction of the muslims as a divine chastisement for the annoyance to which they had subjected them.

Muslim Thieves

After the incident peace prevailed. However, after a month, the muslims began causing trouble again. Soon afterwards, as a detachment of soldiers guarding imperial treasure was on its way from Lahore to Dehli, a storm arose as the convoy approached Goindwal. The soldiers exercised great vigilance and stopped for the night. In the evening, a storm blew in with great speed and one of the mules laden with money disappeared.

In the morning the soldiers found a mule missing and searched everywhere. The town speaker made an announcement but no trace could be found of the mule. Some of the muslims who had concealed the animal, hypocritically joined in the search, and expressed their regret at the occurrence. At last the mule betrayed its captors.

Left alone in the house of a muslim, the animal brayed in captivity mournfully missing the company of its fellows. When the soldiers heard the sound, they proceeded to the house where it was kept. The muslims endeavoured to prevent their entry on the plea that their domestic privacy was being violating. However, the soldiers were not to be thwarted, and succeeded in rescuing the mule with the money.

God Provides Justice

The soldiers reported all the offences of the muslims to the emperor; the muslims persistent annoyance of the Guru and his Sikhs, their attack and slaughter of the Sanyasis, and finally their endeavour to rob the emperor of his treasure. The emperor ordered that they should be imprisoned, their houses razed to the ground, and all their property confiscated. "Such", said the Guru, "shall be the condition of those who bear enmity to those who desire to live at peace."

• 

  Gurdwara Sri Chaubara Sahib Goindwal

  (approximate location) Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran, Punjab, India.

  Associated with Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, Sri Guru Arjan Sahib Ji.

  Gurdwara Sri Chaubara Sahib Goindwal was the home of Guru Amar Das and his family. Many Sikh related events occurred here.

Back to Guru Amar Das Sakhis (Stories)

Guide To Discover Sikhism |   Guide To Becoming A Pure Sikh|   Guide To Carrying Out Nitnem