Ans. A Sikh does not practice bibliolatry. He is the worshipper of ‘Shabad’ (word). To show respect to the word (or to a book containing divine word) is not idol worship.
An idol is a copy of someone’s form. A sculptor carves stone or moulds clay in order to make a figure. But his objective is to make an exact copy of the original one. Idols of Budha, Rama, Krishna, or Shiva are made and worshipped with the idea that they are (copy of) the real. We call the Granth, a Granth and do not use any other name for it. Since it gives us (spiritual) advice and bestows upon us true spiritual life and knowledge, we call it Guru. The word ‘Sahib’ is added as a sign of respect. No one ever says that Granth is Guru Nanak or Bhagat Kabir. We call it the light of Ten Gurus.
Once a cynic asked Bhai Kahnaiyya if bowing before Guru Granth Sahib was not idol worship? He replied, “Yes, to an ignorant person it seems that someone is bowing to the cot, the pedestal, the scarves etc. But after obeisance one reads a randomly selected passage, and then the reader (Sikh) tries to mould his/her life according to the commandment given in that passage. A Sikh is thus the worshipper of ‘Shabad’ and not of the volume.
Guru Harkrishan once said that contacts of physical bodies are always for short and limited periods. If someone wishes to talk to me, he/she should read the Granth with devotion, listen to the commandment with all attention and devotion and earnestly try to act upon it in his/her life. He/she will obtain all the four boons.
- One should always remember that in Guru’s house the true worship is to adopt humility and perform selfless service. According to Bhai Gurdas (Vaar 26, Pauri 6) “The feet of true Guru, the root of all comforts, should be worshipped to attain the comforts”.
- The four boons are, Dharam (moral duty), Arth (worldly goods), Kaam (sexual desire) and Moksh (deliverance).