Today, many Sikhs come across claims, especially online, that bowing before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is idol worship. Some Muslims make this accusation, yet at the same time, they themselves bow toward stone structures inside the Kaaba and treat physical objects with deep ritual respect. These accusations create confusion among those who may not fully understand the difference between bowing to an idol and bowing to the eternal Guru.

This article has been written to respond to such claims with clarity, not to attack any religion. Its purpose is to protect the honour of Guru Sahib and to explain the true Sikh perspective. We will explore what idol worship really means, why Sikhs bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and how this practice is completely different from worshipping a physical object. We will also compare these accusations with Islamic rituals to show the clear double standard present in these arguments. 

The purpose of this article is simple: to remove confusion, expose misinformation, and help readers understand the difference between an idol and the living Shabad Guru.

This article is not against Islam, but a response to the questions and accusations directed toward Sikhi. Please read this article carefully so you do not get influenced by false claims spread by some Muslims.

The questions Muslims raise against Sikhi are the same questions they do not apply to their own religion. This clearly exposes the double standard in their approach. In other words, the accusations they make, such as claiming that Sikhs do idol worship, are actually practices found within their own religion, not in Sikhi.

There is no idol worship in Sikhi. However, certain ritual practices within Islam can certainly be understood or perceived as resembling idol worship, and this article will explain that distinction.

So let us begin by understanding what an idol (moorti) is and what idol worship (moorti pooja) means.

An idol is a shape or form made from some material, such as stone, clay, wood, or metal, carved or created into a figure. When people start considering such an object as God and begin worshipping it, that practice is called idol worship or moorti pooja.

Gurbani clearly rejects idol worship. Guru Sahib Ji writes:

ਜੋ ਪਾਥਰ ਕਉ ਕਹਤੇ ਦੇਵ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੇਵ ॥
Those who treat a stone as God and worship it, their effort is wasted.

ਜੋ ਪਾਥਰ ਕੀ ਪਾਂਈ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਕੀ ਘਾਲ ਅਜਾਂਈ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Those who bow to stone idols and treat them as divine, all their effort is wasted. They gain nothing from it.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji also writes in their bani:
ਕਾਹੇ ਕਉ ਪੂਜਤ ਪਾਹਨ ਕਉ ਕਛੁ ਪਾਹਨ ਮੈ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਨਾਹੀ ॥
Why worship stones? There is no God in them

Since there is no God in a stone, bowing to it or showing respect to it has no meaning. There is no spiritual benefit in bowing to a stone.

This is why Guru Sahib Ji teaches us to worship only the Akal Purakh (the timeless, formless God). Worship should be directed to Akal Purakh alone, through the Shabad (the divine word). Akal Purakh is one; there is no one like Him. He is the creator and dissolver of the entire universe. Nothing in the world, not even an idol, is equal to Him.

Therefore, Guru Sahib Ji explained to Sikhs that the principle of worship is only for Akal Purakh, which never ends. His worship is possible only by praising Him and meditating on His Name. 

Now, let us discuss whether bowing before Guru Sahib Ji is idol worship or not.

If bowing to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were idol worship, then Guru Sahib Ji themselves would have clearly rejected it in Gurbani. 

So the question is: if bowing is not idol worship, then why do Sikhs bow? The simple answer is that all the bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji are divine words of God. It is not man-made, not worldly, but the revealed word of Akal Purakh (the timeless God).

This is why, when Sikhs bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, it is a sign of submission and respect, not idol worship. Sikhs never bow to mere paper, ink, or a cover. The bow is always to the Guru’s bani, the divine message contained in the scripture.

The physical form of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is like a vessel in which the bani of Akal Purakh is preserved. The bani is a divine, revealed message from Waheguru, meant for the spiritual well-being of our lives.

For a simple example, consider sunlight. Giving light is one attribute of the sun, but the sun has many other qualities as well. Still, sunlight cannot be separated from the sun. Similarly, Gurbani comes from Waheguru and is a manifestation of Him, but Waheguru is not limited to Gurbani. Waheguru possesses countless other attributes, and one of these is revealing Gurbani.

Through Gurbani, we are given a way to reach Waheguru. By practicing Gurbani in our lives, we gain spiritual benefit, and our lives improve. Gurbani repeatedly teaches that Waheguru is one, and by meditating on His Name, we can attain Him.

When Sikhs read Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and perform Ardas (prayer), they are remembering Waheguru. After each paragraph, they say “Bolo Ji Waheguru”, which means that through the bani they are connecting with Waheguru. The worship is directed only toward that Akal Purakh (timeless God).

Now, if someone says they want to bow to an idol or bow before a statue for the same purpose, that is completely different and cannot be compared. The main difference is this: an idol is a man-made object, but Gurbani is not created by humans; it is revealed by Waheguru. An idol has no life; it cannot listen, speak, or give knowledge. But Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, through hukamnama (divine commands), teaches Sikhs, shows the spiritual path, and uplifts the life of anyone who follows it.

An idol cannot show anyone the way or give spiritual benefit. Gurbani, however, removes the darkness of the mind and guides the seeker to Waheguru, granting spiritual elevation. An idol cannot forgive sins or remove bad deeds, but through reciting Gurbani and meditating on Waheguru’s Name, sins are removed, bad actions end, and a person can overcome vices and achieve liberation in this life.

When a person considers an idol as God, they forget the real Waheguru. They connect with a worldly object. But when a Sikh connects with Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, they connect with the formless through Gurbani, and through this, they seek the realization of Waheguru.

Gurbani is not a worldly object; it has no physical form or color. It speaks through words. From Gurbani, we gain knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and our inner darkness and ignorance are removed. It gives spiritual light and nourishment to the soul.

Anyone who connects with Gurbani and applies its teachings in life can directly connect with Waheguru because the bani comes from Waheguru and connects us to Him. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is not worshipped as God alone; rather, they are treated as Guru, and their teachings are followed. Bowing is a sign of submission and respect, not idol worship.

This is why Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is placed on a high place, wrapped in clean cloth, and covered with a canopy (Chaur Sahib), all as signs of respect. This entire practice was taught to us by the Guru Sahib themselves.

This is the major difference between an idol and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Now, let us discuss how many Muslims themselves practice idol-like worship. Surely, some may not want to accept this, but in the Kaaba, Muslims bow before a structure made of stone. First, Muslims bow before the building called the Kaaba. When Muslims around the world perform namaz (prayer), they face the Kaaba. If they were truly worshipping only God, why would they bow to the Kaaba? If their bowing is considered correct, then how can the Sikh practice be wrong?

Another important point is that inside the Kaaba, there is a black stone called Hazar al-Aswad. Every year during Hajj, hundreds of thousands of Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba and bow to this black stone, touching it respectfully, kissing it, and seeking blessings.

Even the Prophet Muhammad did the same. It is written in Hadith Sahih Bukhari that one of the Caliphs, Umar, personally went to the Kaaba and said:

“Umar came near the Black Stone and kissed it and said “No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s Messenger kissing you I would not have kissed you.”

On one hand, Muslims say, “We do not worship the stone; we do it with respect, as Prophet Muhammad did.” Fine, we can accept that. But Sikhs do the same; they bow respectfully before Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, following exactly the practice taught by the Gurus. When Sikhs bow, it is not idol worship, yet somehow their act is called wrong, while extremist Muslims claim theirs is not. This is hypocrisy.

As we have already explained, there is a big difference between an idol and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In reality, what most Muslims do is essentially similar to the idol worship seen among many Hindus. In Hinduism they have a black stone they bow to, showing devotion and respect. Similarly, in mainstream Islam they have a black stone in the Kaaba, and they bow, kiss, and touch it with respect. The only difference is that Hindus who practice this do not deny this, while Muslims who practice this sometimes try to deny it.

We do not oppose Hinduism or Islam; people are free to follow their faith as they wish. The problem arises when they themselves perform these acts and then accuse Sikhs of idol worship. The point is clear: when Sikhs bow to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, it is not idol worship, whereas Muslims’ bowing to the stone is similar to Hindu idol worship.

Indeed, Muslims who practice this say that they do not worship the stone and do not consider it God, and that is fine; we accept it. But when it comes to Sikhs, they claim that bowing is idol worship. So if bowing is considered idol worship, then by the same logic, Muslims’ bowing is also idol worship.

The difference is clear: on one side is a mere stone, and on the other side is Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the divine bani (word) of Akal Purakh. There is a huge difference between the two. If Sikhs were only bowing to paper or the cover of a book, then yes, it could be called idol worship, or bowing to a photograph could be considered idol worship. But Gurbani itself clearly rejects idol worship.

This is why the Guru Sahib never worshipped any idol and never taught Sikhs to do so. Bowing before Gurbani is a sign of submission and respect. Life becomes successful when the teachings of Gurbani are practiced in daily life. Bowing before a stone, however, has no benefit, no spiritual gain, and no deeper meaning, and this difference is what some people fail to understand.

If the extremist Muslims asked themselves the same questions they raise about Sikhi, they would clearly see for themselves what is true and what is false.

So either they must accept that bowing is idol worship, and then they fall under the same category, or they must accept that every faith has its own understanding and meaning of bowing. Creating false propaganda and raising meaningless arguments without understanding the correct context is completely wrong.

But this is not the only ritual Muslims follow. There is another practice during Hajj. During Hajj, there is a Muslim practice of throwing stones at a symbolic structure representing Satan. This act is called Ramy al-Jamarat.

According to Muslim belief, Satan tried to mislead Ibrahim (Abraham) so that he would disobey God’s command. Because of this, Ibrahim threw seven stones at Satan to stop him. During Hajj, Muslims perform this ritual in remembrance of that event.

First, they collect small stones, and then they throw seven stones at each of the three walls built in the area of the Kaaba. Muslims who practice this do not believe that Satan is inside these walls, but they consider the walls to be a symbol of Satan. They say that although Satan is not physically there, one should imagine that the stones are hitting Satan’s face.

Their belief is that by throwing these stones, they reject Satan and evil, so they can protect themselves from negative influences.

But this too becomes a form of idol worship, because a physical object is being used as a symbol of a being and treated with ritual action.

This type of practice is clearly rejected in Gurbani.

Hindus also have a similar practice. They climb a stone mountain, placing their feet on rocks step by step, and after reaching the top, they bow to a stone idol inside the temple.

Bhagat Namdev Ji clearly exposes this mindset in Gurbani. He says that first, people walk over stones with their feet, and then they bow down respectfully to another stone idol inside the temple. Respecting one stone while disrespecting another. This is blind faith. If a stone is considered God, then both stones should be respected. What does it mean to step on one stone and worship the other?

Many Muslims are doing the same thing. They bow to one stone and consider another stone to represent Satan and throw stones at it. Using stones this way has no connection with spiritual development.

Once again, we say, Muslims are free to follow their practices that harm any living being. We do not have any issue with that. They may follow their religion however they like, may God keep them happy.

But the same mindset extremist Muslims use to criticize Sikhi, they never apply to their own religion. If they applied the same logic to Islam that they use against Sikhi, then the truth becomes very clear: idol worship does not happen in Gurdwaras, it happens in the Kaaba.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji gives a clear teaching to worship only the One Akaal Purakh (One Timeless Supreme Being), and true worship happens only through Naam Simran (meditation on the Divine Name and absorbing oneself in his DIvine Presence and Vibration). 

Understanding Gurbani correctly and living according to its teachings – this is the true way of living as a Sikh.

So after understanding all these points, the truth becomes very clear:

Sikhs do not worship idols. Sikhs bow to the divine Shabad, the revealed Word of Waheguru, which is present in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The bow is not to paper, or to a physical object, it is to the divine wisdom that guides the Sikh towards Waheguru.

On the other hand, many Muslims who accuse Sikhs of idol worship are involved in rituals that closely resemble idol-like actions like bowing toward a stone structure, kissing a stone, and performing symbolic rituals around physical objects. If such practices are considered acceptable and spiritual in Islam, then calling Sikh practice idol worship is not only incorrect, but also unfair and hypocritical.

But the purpose of this article is not to insult or attack Islam. The purpose is to answer false accusations made against Sikhi. Every religion has its own traditions and symbolism, and people are free to follow whatever faith they believe in.

However, no one has the right to misrepresent Sikhi or spread lies about Guru Sahib.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the living Guru of the Sikhs. Gurbani is the spiritual light that removes darkness from the mind. Bowing to the Guru is a sign of love, humility, and surrender to the Truth, not idol worship.

May Waheguru bless everyone with understanding, wisdom, and the ability to live in peace.