First define Hinduism. What is Hinduism?

It is a myriad of beliefs with a dazzling array of gods and goddesses with devotes of each locked in performing worship to each deity. Some pooja Shiv Ji, Ganash, Hanuman others go for Durga mata or Kali. Some take a different route and worship snakes, rats, elephants or monkeys, each person choosing his or her own route to salvation. Sikhs do not look down on Hindus, they have chosen a route, albeit a long one, but for a Sikh the only true path to the Almighty One God is one of Gurmat, the path laid by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the nine Guru's culminating in the miracle of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

From the outset Guru Nanak Dev Ji rejected Hinduism, Guru Ji did not wear the Jineu, sacred thread, or had the sacred mark or tilak on his forehead.

Sikhism and Hinduism are distinctly separate religions. Hinduism believes in caste distinctions, worships idols, and astrologic divination. Most Hindus are not monotheist, that is, they worship a god or goddess from a large array of deities. Sikhs on the other hand believe in the equality of all persons of both genders, do not believe one day to be more auspicious than another. Sikhs acknowledge the existance of gods and goddesses, which are akin to angels and Sikhs show them great respect but when a Sikhs head bows, it bows only to the One timeless God who is beyond birth and death.

You may bathe and wash, and apply a ritualistic tilak mark to your forehead, but without inner purity, there is no understanding. ||6|| Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Raag Raamkalee. p903

Guru Gobind Singh Ji explores the austerities carried out mostly by Hindus and concludes that they are of no avail unless you have the True Lord in your heart.

Swine eats filth, elephants and donkeys bespatter themselves with dust.
Jackals live at places of cremation.
Owls live in tombs, deer wander alone in the forests, trees ever die in silence;
The man who re-straineth his seed should only have the credit of the hermaphrodite
Monkeys ever wander bare-footed.
They who eat grass and renounce the desire of wealth are no more then calves and oxen.
They who engage in meditation resemble cranes, cates and wolves
For grazing on akk, eating fruits and flowers, and ever wandering in the forests, there is no animal like the goat.
In the cold season the jackal barketh five times. and the elephant and donkey utter various cries
If anyone were by repeating Gods name to obtain God (who cannot be obtained just by lip-worship), then the warbler ever uttereth "Tu hi ! Tu hi ! (would have obtained salvation)"

The Lord Akal creates millions of Krishna, annihilates them and recreates them.
Some hang stones around their necks, while others erroneously call Mahesh 'God'
I have discarded all these false religions and am of the firm view that He who is the creator of the Universe, is the only Lord.
Everyone is caught in the noose of Death, no Rama or prophet can escape from it. All of them who made grand claims of being Avtars of God died repentant. Why doest not thou, O, hapless being seek the shelter of the One Lord. (15th swayya) Dasam Granth

It is indeed correct that Hindu deities are mentioned many times in Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Dasam Granth Ji and it is true that in many shabads (hymns) they are shown great respect, but it does not follow that the Hindu deities are revered in any way. In fact the deities – Brahman, Vishnu, Shiv Ji, Parvati, Hanuman – are shown to be spiritually higher life forms but who have flaws and are influenced by Maya/illusion, ego and the vices.

Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Dasam Granth Ji both mention Avtar/incarnations of past ages. God who is Nirgun (He has all qualities so He is without any single quality, hence Nir(no) Guna(Quality)) to restore order in his manifestation, the whole universe(s), from time to time will take the form of mighty men and women, who display some of his qualities, which is called Saguna - Sa(with) Guna (Qualities). So as per Dasham Granth Ji, Saguna forms were described to show the might of Nirguna. The ultimate power is God - AkalPurkh, Waheguru, Paarbrahm, Ram, Allah - what ever you want to call Him, He has many names, and only Sikhism respects all great Saguna Saroops (forms) of God in all faiths.

First and foremost the Gurus remind us that the deities were all created (and will be destroyed) by the Almighty. This shows clearly that the Gurus had respect but in no way revered the deities.

So many winds, waters and fires; so many Krishnas and Shivas. Guru Nanak Dev Ji Japji.

He created air, water and fire, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the whole creation. Guru Nanak Dev Ji

The realm of Shiva, the realms of Brahma and Indra as well - no place anywhere is permanent. Guru Arjun dev ji.

The Gurus remind us time and again that the gods and goddesses have meditated for eons but still have not understood the secret of the Almighty.

The wise one, Shiva, remains absorbed in himself, but he is engrossed in dark passions and excessive egotism. ||2|| Guru Amar Daas Ji Raag Vadhans p559

Shiva meditates through lakhs of methods (postures) but still could not recognise the form, hue and guise of the Lord. Vishnu incarnated himself through lakhs of creatures but he could not recognise even a bit of that Lord. Var18.

Beings like Sanak, Sanand, Shiva and Shaysh-naaga - none of them know Your mystery, Lord. ||1|| Bhagat Kabeer Ji Raag Dhanaasree p691

Raag Dhanaasaree, The Word Of Devotee Kabeer Jee:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
Beings like Sanak, Sanand, Shiva and Shaysh-naaga - none of them know Your mystery, Lord. ||1||
In the Society of the Saints, the Lord dwells within the heart. ||1||Pause||
Beings like Hanumaan, Garura, Indra the King of the gods and the rulers of humans - none of them know Your Glories, Lord. ||2||
The four Vedas, the Simritees and the Puraanas, Vishnu the Lord of Lakshmi and Lakshmi herself - none of them know the Lord. ||3||
Says Kabeer, one who falls at the Lord's feet, and remains in His Sanctuary, does not wander around lost. ||4||1|| Bhagat Kabeer Ji in Raag Dhanaasree on Pannaa 691

If Sikhism is a sect of Hinduism then there would have been no need for the creation of a new path, no need for new customs. At the time of Guru Nanak Dev Ji there had existed the Ramayan and Mahabharat Hindu scriptures. Along side these were the four Vedas and Simaraties and Purans, why was there a need to craft a new scripture in the form of the holy Guru Granth sahib as compiled by Guru Arjun Dev Ji? From the outset Guru Nanak Dev Ji's whole intention was to create the True path that leads to the meging of the soul into the One great Soul, as proscribed by God.

In the following shabad Guru Arjun Dev Ji describes Maya – illusion. Maya has the whole world in her embrace and even the mighty gods and goddesses cannot escape her.

Aasaa, Fifth Mehl:
A frown creases her forehead, and her look is evil.
Her speech is bitter, and her tongue is rude.
She is always hungry, and she believes her Husband to be far away. ||1||
Such is Maya, the woman, which the One Lord has created.
She is devouring the whole world, but the Guru has saved me, O my Siblings of Destiny.
Administering her poisons, she has overcome the whole world.
She has bewitched Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Only those Gurmukhs who are attuned to the Naam are blessed. ||2||
Performing fasts, religious observances and atonements, the mortals have grown weary.
They wander over the entire planet, on pilgrimages to the banks of sacred rivers.
But they alone are saved, who seek the Sanctuary of the True Guru. ||3||
Attached to Maya, the whole world is in bondage.
The foolish self-willed manmukhs are consumed by their egotism.
Taking me by the arm, Guru Nanak has saved me. ||4||2||96||Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Aasaa p394

The deities are chastised for not putting people on the path of the one Almighty but rather making them their own devotees.

Those who serve Shiva and Brahma do not find the limits of the Lord. Guru Amar Daas Ji. Raag Gujri p516

This is not to say that the Gurus did not write about the deities with warmth and affection.

The true Vaishnaav, the devotee of Vishnu, is the one with whom God is thoroughly pleased.
He dwells apart from Maya.
Performing good deeds, he does not seek rewards.
Spotlessly pure is the religion of such a Vaishnaav;
he has no desire for the fruits of his labours.
He is absorbed in devotional worship and the singing of Kirtan, the songs of the Lord's Glory.
Within his mind and body, he meditates in remembrance on the Lord of the Universe.
He is kind to all creatures.
He holds fast to the Naam, and inspires others to chant it.
O Nanak, such a Vaishnaav obtains the supreme status. ||2||Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Raag Gauree p274

Guru Gobind Singh Ji in his Dasam Granth has written many compositions that tell the lives of deities worshipped by Hindus. It is the misunderstanding (intentional or unintentional) of the hindu that the Guru Ji revered or worshipped the deities.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji had faith in the one almighty God and him alone. The opening of every composition in the Dasam Granth is a homage in praise of the one formless God, in the case of his autobiography, Bachittar Natak, the first quarter of the composition is in praise of God. The compositions Jaap Sahib and Akal Ustat (Eulogy to God), which being the Dasam Granth, are totally in praise of the Amlighty. As for the compositions Var Bhagauti Ki (Chandi di Var – composition re-telling the story of the goddess Durgas battle with the demons) and Chaubis Avtar ( the telling of the twenty four incarnations of Vishnu which include Bhagwan Krishan Ji, Sri Ram Chandar Ji, Macch Avatar, Kacch Avatar and Kalki Avatar) again the first part is in praise of the Almighty. So the notion that somehow Guru Sahib Ji revered or worshiped these deities is totally false.

Here is the start of Var Bhagauti Ki.

Var Bhagauti Ki

Sikhism does contain many unique postulates and principles that are quite different from both Hinduism and Islam. Joseph D. Cunningham (1812-1851), the author of "A History of the Sikhs" (1848), observed: "It has been usual to regard the Sikhs as essentially Hindu... yet in religious faith and worldly aspiration, they are wholly different from other Indians, and they are bound together by an objective unknown elsewhere."

Sikhism originated from the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Ji obtained his message direct from the One Timeless Lord and sought to put the masses on to the righteous path towards realisation of God through meditation, sharing the fruits of your honest work and loving your fellow man, it is in no way derivative of any philosophy or religious thought. Guru Ji, on one hand sought to show the people the futility of the Caste system, of idol worship of inequality of the genders so inherent in Hinduism, and on the other, the cruelty of aggressive and forcible conversions and the inhumane treatment of ones fellow man.

An incorrect statement is often made by some scholars who observe the Sikh faith only from a distance.  The scholars often state that Sikhism is a combination of good points from Hinduism and Islam. Such misleading statements conceal the fact that Sikhism is a sovereign faith revealed by God through Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the next nine Gurus. It is understandable that some beliefs can be similar however Sikhism has no links with the beliefs of other faiths including Hinduism and Islam. One can find great similarities between Christianity and Islam, does that mean Islam is a part of Christianity? As proclaimed by God, Guru Nanak Dev Ji introduced a true immaculate way in order to attain salvation and be one with God.  Whoever followed the way of Guru Nanak Dev Ji was known as Sikh. Many Hindus and Muslims renounced their faith to become Sikh and follow Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teachings.

Sikhism has a concept called sewa. Sewa means to do selfless service to your Guru or the congregation (sangat). As the Guru resides in the congregation as ‘Guru Sangat’ then any service to the sangat is service to the Guru. Other faiths have service, the Christians have soup kitchens and so on, but the concept in Sikhism is unique. From the outset Guru Gobind Singh Ji declared that he would reside in the sangat and if any one wished to meet him then they should do selfless service to the sangat and it would reach him. Hence in the Gurdwaras across the world individuals busy themselves dusting and cleaning the shoes of the sangat, they stand in the Gurdwara wafting large fans over the sitting congregation, they clean and wash and sweep in true devotion. The free kitchen (langar) in which any person can partake extends from this basic concept. All offerings that you bring to the gurdwara that are used in the langar and end up in the mouths of the sangat ultimately reach Guru Sahib Ji. This concept is not found in any other faith on

Earth. In the free kitchen all are expected to sit side by side and eat the same simple meal. In Islam you are not allowed to enter many of their sites, women are also restricted. A Hindu Brahmin will not sit next to a Suddra or low caste, yet in Sikhism when Emperor Babur came to pay his respects he was first asked to sit with the common man and eat langar before Guru Ji would meet him.

The whole idea of Naam Simran is unique to Sikhism. There is no such thing in any of the Semitic faiths, the closest would be Hinduism but this is also greatly lacking. The path as described by Guru Nanak Dev Ji is unique, it is full of love and devotion for the Almighty. It expects not only true and clean living by an individual but also to remember the Lord with each and every breath. To simar, repeat, His name with ones soul, so that countless lifetimes of sins can be washed away.

I do not keep fasts, nor do I observe the month of Ramadaan. I serve only the One, who will protect me in the end. The One Lord, the Lord of the World, is my God Allah. He administers justice to both Hindus and Muslims. I do not make pilgrimages to Mecca, nor do I worship at Hindu sacred shrines. I serve the One Lord, and not any other. I do not perform Hindu worship services, nor do I offer the Muslim prayers. I have taken the One Formless Lord into my heart; I humbly worship Him there. I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim. My body and breath of life belong to Allah - to Raam - the God of both. Says Kabeer, this is what I say: meeting with the Guru, my Spiritual Teacher, I realize God, my Lord and Master. (Guru Granth Sahib Ji)

The concept of God is unique in Sikhism.

My Lord Himself in the tablet, Himself the pen, and Himself the writing upon it. He Himself is the balance, Himself the weights and Himself the weigher. He Himself sees, judges, and is the trader. God Himself is the author, pen, book and the reader. He Himself is the plot and the characters. There is nothing anywhere that is not the Lord. Whatever we see, hear, or touch, it is all He. (ang 1291)

God dwells in everyone’s heart and is imminent in the whole universe. God is everywhere all the time. He is the ocean in which we, His little fish, play and live our lives. He is the centre of each heart, He is the eternal companion. Seated in everyone’s heart, God sees all and, with a look of grace, moves all. This concept rules out any links with Islam as their vengeful God created the world but lives apart, hence how can Sikhism be an amalgamation of Islam and Hinduism?

The ordinary Sikh regards all humanity as friend and loves to socialize with the Hindu as well as with other fellow human beings. This sentiment sadly is not reciprocated. It is a well know fact that Swami Dayanand, - the 19th century reformer – was born and brought up in Gujarat, educated in Madhya Pradesh and traveled to Bengal, but his movement, Arya Samaj could not take roots anywhere in these liberal regions. During his retched life Swami Dayanand started using low level abusive terminology for the Sikh Gurus, especially Guru Nanak Dev ji, the fountainhead of Sikhism. When the Sikhs awoke from their slumber of complacence the result was severe opposition of the Swami, which ultimately divided the harmonious life of Punjabis in two warring camps who, up to day, are not at peace with one another. So much so that Bhai Kahn Singh had to write a book – ‘Hum Hindu Nahin’- I am not a Hindu. Through a well-planned Hindutva programme, the Sikhs are reminded that since words like Ram and Krishna have been used many times in Guru Granth sahib Ji and there is mention of many other gods and goddesses in the Sikh literature, the Sikh religion is nothing but an offshoot of Hinduism. Innocent and less-informed people have started accepting this premise, and are attending the assemblies of the deceitful RSS. One question may be asked of these hysterical nationalists. The whole world knows that Christ was born in a Jewish family and thus Christianity sprang out of Judaism. In the Holy Quran and prophets of Judaism and Christianity have been remembered with great respect and regard. Could the zealots of the new found Indian nationalism say on this basis that the Muslim is a Jew, or the Jews are nothing but Christians? All middle-East Religions are accepted as different and distinct from each other. But the punishment to Sikhism for using the names of Ram, Krishna and the inspiring episodes of their lives is that Sikhs should brand themselves as Hindus!

But the pivot of Sikh thought frame is Sri Guru Granth sahib Ji, the only Indian scripture which, after having salvaged the Indian people from the bottom of ritualistic delusions, teaches us the art of dignified living. Guru Granth Sahib Ji opens the gates of equality for all so-called high and low people. To respect somebody and to accept him as God are altogether different aspect. It is one of the basic premises of Sikhism that God is self born and, by his nature, cannot be born or die in a human form. Yet Sikhism does not show any disrespect to the gods and goddesses of great epics who are held in veneration in the hearts and the Hindu people. It is a credit to the great secure hearts of the Sikhs that they have no problem with respect of Shivji, Brahma or Vishnu, it is a great pity that this respect is not shown in return.

You tear off the leaves, O gardener, but in each and every leaf, there is life. That stone idol, for which you tear off those leaves - that stone idol is lifeless. In this, you are mistaken, O gardener. The True Guru is the Living Lord.
Brahma is in the leaves, Vishnu is in the branches, and Shiva is in the flowers. When you pluck these leaves, three gods are torn off - then whose service are you performing?
The sculptor carves the stone and fashions it into an idol, placing his feet upon its chest. If this stone god was true, it would devour the sculptor for this!
Rice and beans, candies, cakes and cookies - the priest enjoys these, while he puts ashes into the mouth of the idol. The gardener is mistaken, and the world is mistaken, but I am not mistaken. Says Kabeer, the Lord preserves me; the Lord, my King, has showered His Blessings upon me. (Guru Granth sahib Ji)

Please read response to previous question. Sikhism was not created to defend any religious group, Sikhism is a path to realisation of God. Again this is propoganda spread by those who are insecure in themselves that they have a problem when they set eyes on a people who stand proud and have total faithon the Almighty. Pressure from government sources during the times of the last six Gurus led to the development of a Sikh army for self-defense. Never once did the Sikhs preempt an attack on any people.

A Sikh is taught to stand against injustice from whatever source and to defend the weak and downtrodden, no matter what their religious affiliation. In the armies of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji there were many from a whole spectrum of religious beliefs, from Muslims to Hindus. At the battle of Bhangani, Pir Buddhu Shah, a Muslim,along with his sons and five hundred followers joined Guru Gobind Singh Ji's army in which Guru Ji was victorious. The next battle was against the Hill Chiefs who were Hindu and who should have had more sense then to ride against Guru Sahib Ji, again Guru Ji was victorious.

Never take any cigarettes or tobacco to a Sikh house, and never ever ask to smoke. Sikhs are prohibited from smoking and consider smoking as unsociable and dirty. Sikhs are also not allowed to drink alcohol and eat meat, but some do not adhere to these principles. If a Sikh is Amritdhari, then he/she will definitely not consume alcohol, so best not to take a bottle of wine.

When it comes to food Sikhs are very hospitable , so be warned!

If you do not require second helpings of food refuse politely but firmly, but this will generally be ignored and samosa's and onion bhaji's will be piled up on your plate accompanied with "Don't by shy, consider this your home" or "You have hardly started eating, here have some more, and don't by shy."

Asked if you would like to watch an Indian video, politely refuse as you will have to watch the whole three hours. Same applies to wedding videos or else another three hours of your life will be wasted.

The proper name for the Sikh place of worship is the Gurdwara, not temple.
Never enter a Gurdwara if you have consumed alcohol or if you have any cigarettes or tobacco on your person. Before entering the Darbar or main hall shoes and socks must be removed and head covered. Heads can be covered with a hat or material shaped like a handkerchief which is available from the Gurdwara. When approaching Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the holy scriptures, one can bow and place offering of money as a sign of respect then join the Sangat (congregation) seated on the carpeted floor. Most people are not used to sitting cross legged on the floor but be aware that sitting with legs stretched out with feet pointing at the Guru Granth Sahib is disrespectful.