Nanak

Nanak (1469-1539)

Guru Nanak Dev, was the founder of Sikhism, and the first of the eleven Sikh Gurus.
Beside followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev is revered by Hindus and Muslim Sufis. His primary message to society was recorded to be "devotion of thought and excellence of conduct as the first of duties". It goes without saying that,for the people of India, Guru Nanak occupies a place of pride not only in the history of Punjab or India but also of the whole world.For the Sikhs and Hindus, he was a Prophet who gave to the world the gospel of love, goodwill and reconciliation.
The teachings of Nanak included faith in one true God , worship and recitel of his name and the necessity of Guru in pursuing the path to God. God, according to him , is immanent and transcendent.Nobody knows the limits of God. God alone knows how great he is. Nanak compares God to the beloved and says God is in the heart of every individual. Nanak had belief in a personal and merciful god. Nanak denounced the worship of idols .He put emphasis on the worship of true name. Nanak endeavored to remove the cloud of ignorance and superstitions from the minds of people.
Nanak put great emphasis on the worship of True Name.Repetition of the True Name Satnam Vāhigurū was to be done with greatest devotion.To quote Nanak

The name is the God, the God of all Gods. Some propitiate durga, some shiv, some ganesh and some other Gods but the Guru's Sikhs worship the True Name and thus remove all obstacles to salvation.

Religion consisteth not in mere words;
He who looketh on all men as equal is religious,
Religion consisteth not in wandering to tombs or places of cremation, or sitting in attitudes
of contemplation.
Religion consisteth not in wandering in foreign countries, or in being in places of
pilgrimage.
Abide pure amidst the impurities of the world ;
Thus shall thou find the way to religion.

Hadst thou the eighteen Puranas with thee,
Couldst thou recite the four Vedas.
Didst thou bathe on holy days and give alms according to man's castes
Didst thou fast and perform religious ceremonies day and night,
Was thou a Qazi, a Mulla, or a Sheikh,
A jogi, a Jangam didst thou wear an ochre-coloured dress,
Or did thou perform the duties of a household--
Without knowing God, Death would bind and take all away.