Bhai Mardana - Muslim Companions Lifelong Seva

Dadi: "Tonight, Guddu, I'll tell you about the most beautiful friendship in Sikh history - the story of Bhai Mardana."

Guddu: "Who was Bhai Mardana?"

Dadi: "He was Guru Nanak's best friend and first disciple. But here's something special - Bhai Mardana was Muslim."

Guddu: "A Muslim was the first Sikh?"

Dadi: "Strange, isn't it? But that's exactly the point. They grew up in the same village - Rai Bhoi Di Talwandi, which we now call Nankana Sahib. Mardana was ten years older than Guru Nanak, but from childhood, they were inseparable friends."

Guddu: "What did Bhai Mardana do?"

Dadi: "He was a musician - a rabab player. The rabab is a beautiful stringed instrument. Guru Nanak would compose divine hymns, and Bhai Mardana would play the music. Together, they spread God's message through song."

Guddu: "Did they travel together?"

Dadi: "For fifty-four years, beta! Fifty-four years! Can you imagine being with someone for that long? They walked through scorching deserts and freezing mountains. They visited temples and mosques, met kings and beggars. Sometimes they went days without food."

Guddu: "Fifty-four years! But why did Bhai Mardana leave his family?"

Dadi: "He had a family - a wife, two sons, and a daughter. When Guru Nanak was ready to start his travels, he invited Mardana to come. But Mardana was worried. His daughter wasn't married yet, and he had no money for her wedding."

Guddu: "So what happened?"

Dadi: "Another of Guru Nanak's followers, Bhai Bhagirath, heard about this and paid for the entire wedding! After his daughter was settled, Bhai Mardana joined Guru Nanak and never looked back."

Guddu: "Dadi, there's something I don't understand. If Bhai Mardana was Muslim, why didn't Guru Nanak ask him to become a Sikh?"

Dadi: "Ah, beta, you've asked the most beautiful question! One day, Bhai Mardana himself asked Guru Nanak this question. "What is your religion? I want to convert to it." You know what Guru Nanak said?"

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: "He said, "If you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim. If you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu. That is how you become my Sikh." You see, to be Guru Nanak's disciple didn't mean changing your religion - it meant becoming a better person."

Guddu: "So Bhai Mardana stayed Muslim but was also the first Sikh?"

Dadi: "Exactly! He followed Guru Nanak's teachings of love, equality, and service to all, while keeping his Muslim identity. This is why he's so special - he showed that faith is about how you live, not just what you call yourself."

Guddu: "Tell me a story about their travels!"

Dadi: "One of my favorites is at Hassan Abdal - a town near today's Islamabad. They had been walking for days under the hot sun. Bhai Mardana was so thirsty. Near the town, on top of a hill, lived a Muslim holy man named Wali Qandhari who had a pool of water."

Guddu: "Did he share the water?"

Dadi: "Guru Nanak sent Bhai Mardana up the hill three times. Each time, Wali Qandhari refused to share. He was jealous of Guru Nanak's fame. "If your Guru is so great," he mocked, "let him make his own water!""

Guddu: "That was very mean!"

Dadi: "Yes. But then something miraculous happened. Guru Nanak pressed his hand against a rock, and fresh, cool water gushed out from under his feet! At the same moment, Wali Qandhari's pool dried up completely."

Guddu: "Wow!"

Dadi: "The angry Wali Qandhari rolled a huge boulder down the hill to crush Guru Nanak. But the Guru simply raised his hand, and the boulder stopped! His handprint is still there on that rock. Today, that place is called Panja Sahib - one of the holiest Sikh sites."

Guddu: "What happened to Bhai Mardana at the end?"

Dadi: "After all their travels, they settled in Kartarpur, the village Guru Nanak built. When Bhai Mardana knew his time was coming, he made one last request to the Guru: "I wish to remain forever attached to you.""

Guddu: "Did Guru Nanak grant that wish?"

Dadi: "Yes. Guru Nanak wrote a verse and put Bhai Mardana's name on it. This verse is in our Sri Guru Granth Sahib today. So Bhai Mardana - a Muslim - has his name forever in the Sikh holy scripture. They are together for eternity."

Guddu: "That's so beautiful, Dadi. They really loved each other."

Dadi: "That's the lesson, beta. True friendship doesn't ask what religion you follow, what language you speak, or where you come from. When Bhai Mardana played his rabab and Guru Nanak sang, Hindu, Muslim, rich, poor - everyone felt God's love."

Guddu: "Is that why we should have friends from all different backgrounds?"

Dadi: "Exactly! Your Muslim friend Ayaan, your Hindu friend Rohan, your Christian friend David - love them all equally. Help them all equally. That is what Guru Nanak taught, and that is what Bhai Mardana showed us with his whole life. Now, shall we listen to some kirtan before sleep?"