Do not say that the vedas, the bible and the koran are false

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Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false This is the translation of the first line of a shabad (hymn) found in the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib on page 1350. The hymn, which is by Bhagat Kabir ask us not to fight over or argue about the contents of various "holy books" of the world and not to say that they are incorrect.

The Guru asks us not to reach a negative judgement regarding any of these holy books. When one thinks about this closely and deeply then this statement begins to make a lot of sense. To understand the philosophy and the complete message of any faith cannot be done by a casual look at a few lines of the holy text. Some faiths require many years of deep investigation to reach a true, deep and coherent understanding. So, with this in mind, one can understand why the Guru Granth makes such a bold statement.

The second part of the line tells us that false are those who do not understand these holy books. So the messages that is advanced is to find fault with the person who does not interrogate and properly investigate the content of these holy books and to accept that the fault lies in the people of the various faiths not following correctly the clear message contained within their own holy scriptures and not with the books themselves.

People of all the religions of the world are weak at "putting in" the effort required to properly understanding the message contained in their sacred scriptures. This statement clearly also applies to Sikhs who do not study the words of their Guru as contained in the holy Granth. The shabad is clearly telling us to take the time and make the effort to understand the deeper meaning contained in these scriptures; not to be "picky" and selective to use bits of the text for our own agenda.

Line 1

ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹ੝ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
bayd katayb kahhu mat jhoothay jhoothaa jo na bichaarai.
Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false. Those who do not contemplate them are false.

The first sentence of this shabad is: "bayd katayb kahhu mat jhoothay jhoothaa jo na bichaarai" - "Do not say that the Vedas and the Books, (meaning Bible, Tanakh, Koran, etc) are false. False are those who do not contemplate". This tuk (line) is very clear and direct; we cannot ever call the holy books false. That is what Gurbani says about the holy books, "kahhu mat jhoothay" - "never call them false". So "never call the holy books false" is the edict of the Guru.

The second part of the tuk says, "jhoothaa jo na bichaarai" - "False is the one who does not contemplate". So the person who does not "look at attentively and thoughtfully at the message of these holy books" is the one who is false.

Rest of the Shabad

You say that the One Lord is in all, so why do you kill chickens? (1)
O Mullah, tell me: is this God's Justice? The doubts of your mind have not been dispelled. ((1)(Pause))
You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay.
The light of the soul passes into another form. So tell me, what have you killed? (2)
And what good are your purifications? Why do you bother to wash your face? And why do you bother to bow your head in the mosque?
Your heart is full of hypocrisy; what good are your prayers or your pilgrimage to Mecca? (3)
You are impure; you do not understand the Pure Lord. You do not know His Mystery.
Says Kabeer, you have missed out on paradise; your mind is set on hell. ((4)(4))

The rest of the shabad deals with the hypocrisy of the Mullah (Muslim priest) who although accepting and vocally narrating that "Allah is in all beings" continues to kill chicken! It begs the question, doesn't Allah abide in the chicken!

Kabir ji, goes further to highlight how the Mullah has not understood the text and message of the holy Koran and how he continues to live in doubt and in hypocrisy.

The full Shabad is listed below:

Shabad on page 1350

ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹ੝ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥ ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਝਕ੝ ਖ੝ਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਮ੝ਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥

ਮ੝ਲਾਂ ਕਹਹ੝ ਨਿਆਉ ਖ੝ਦਾਈ ॥ ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮ੝ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹ੝ ਹਲਾਲ੝ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥੨॥
ਕਿਆ ਉਜੂ ਪਾਕ੝ ਕੀਆ ਮ੝ਹ੝ ਧੋਇਆ ਕਿਆ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਸਿਰ੝ ਲਾਇਆ ॥ ਜਉ ਦਿਲ ਮਹਿ ਕਪਟ੝ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗ੝ਜਾਰਹ੝ ਕਿਆ ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
ਤੂੰ ਨਾਪਾਕ੝ ਪਾਕ੝ ਨਹੀ ਸੂਝਿਆ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਮਰਮ੝ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਤੇ ਚੂਕਾ ਦੋਜਕ ਸਿਉ ਮਨ੝ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥੪॥

bayd katayb kahhu mat jhoothay jhoothaa jo na bichaarai. ja-o sabh meh ayk khudaa-ay kahat ha-o ta-o ki-o murgee maarai. (1)

Mulĝʼn kahhu ni▫ĝ▫o kẖuḝĝ▫ī. Ŧere man kĝ bẖaram na jĝ▫ī. (1) rahĝ▫o.
Pakar jī▫o ĝni▫ĝ ḝeh binĝsī mĝtī ka▫o bismil kī▫ĝ. Joṯ sarūp anĝhaṯ lĝgī kaho halĝl ki▫ĝ kī▫ĝ.(2)
Ki▫ĝ ujū pĝk kī▫ĝ muhu ḝẖo▫i▫ĝ ki▫ĝ masīṯ sir lĝ▫i▫ĝ. Ja▫o ḝil mėh kapat nivĝj gujĝrahu ki▫ĝ haj kĝbai jĝ▫i▫ĝ.(3)
Ŧūʼn nĝpĝk pĝk nahī sūjẖi▫ĝ ṯis kĝ maram na jĝni▫ĝ. Kahi Kabīr bẖisaṯ ṯe cẖūkĝ ḝojak si▫o man mĝni▫ĝ. ((4)(4))

Do not say that the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran are false.
Those who do not contemplate them are false. You say that the One Lord is in all, so why do you kill chickens? (1)

O Mullah, tell me: is this God's Justice? The doubts of your mind have not been dispelled. ((1)(Pause))
You seize a living creature, and then bring it home and kill its body; you have killed only the clay.
The light of the soul passes into another form. So tell me, what have you killed? (2)
And what good are your purifications? Why do you bother to wash your face? And why do you bother to bow your head in the mosque?
Your heart is full of hypocrisy; what good are your prayers or your pilgrimage to Mecca? (3)
You are impure; you do not understand the Pure Lord. You do not know His Mystery.
Says Kabeer, you have missed out on paradise; your mind is set on hell. ((4)(4))



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