The Guru Granth Sahib is the sacred scripture of Sikhism—but to Sikhs, it is much more than a book. It is the living Guru, the final and eternal spiritual guide, revered with the same respect once shown to the human Gurus. Compiled over 400 years ago, the Guru Granth Sahib is a poetic, musical, and deeply spiritual text that speaks to the soul, not just the intellect.

The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan (1563–1606), compiled the first version in 1604, gathering the hymns (shabads) of the first five Gurus, along with writings from Hindu and Muslim saints like Kabir and Farid. This inclusive spirit reflects a core Sikh belief: divine truth transcends religion and is found in all sincere seekers (McLeod, Sikhism, 1997).

Written in beautiful verse and organized by musical ragas, the Guru Granth Sahib isn’t read silently or casually. It is sung aloud, in community, as a living dialogue with the Divine. The text teaches that God is one, without form, present in all, and that liberation comes through remembering God, living honestly, and serving others (Cole & Sambhi, The Sikhs, 1995).

In 1708, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, declared there would be no more human Gurus after him—the Guru Granth Sahib would guide the Sikh community forever (Singh, The Sikhs, 2006).

To this day, Sikhs bow before the Guru Granth Sahib, not in worship of paper and ink, but in reverence for the timeless truth it contains.

Sources:

• McLeod, W.H. Sikhism. Penguin, 1997.

• Cole, W. Owen & Sambhi, Piara Singh. The Sikhs. Sussex Academic Press, 1995.

• Singh, Khushwant. The Sikhs. Rupa Publications, 2006.