Was Saint Kabir or Baba Farid Guru of Nanak Sahib?
When people associate themselves with a leader and then call him the greatest, this idea is not bad, but rather good. Because only that leader is showering his blessing upon us in our thoughts, for us, so-and-so becomes the Lord. It is a common mistake, but the problem arises when you try to belittle others in comparison to what you believe in.
Sant Rampal was born in Haryana. He is currently in jail, but he spread the rumour that God appeared in the form of Kabir. He went to Sultanpur Lodhi, where he made Guru Nanak his Sikh. Similarly, many devotees of Sheikh Farid express similar views without much thought and study. Many have written extensively on these topics, so whatever comes to our mind, we are also writing.
Guru Nanak Sahib's Bani is very similar to that of Bhagat Kabir. After the Sikh Gurus, if any Bhagat's Bani has the most presence in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is that of Bhagat Kabir. Kabir ji also lived in Kashi at the same time as Guru Sahib. It is not known whether he ever ventured outside Kashi or Maghar, but Guru Nanak Sahib certainly visited Kashi. There is strong evidence for this, but by that time Guru Sahib was on a preaching mission, and this fact is widely accepted.
It is said that Guru Nanak Sahib preserved the words of Bhagat Ji in written form and handed them over to Guru Angad when he ascended the throne. Later they were given to Baba Mohan Ji, and these manuscripts are now known as 'Mohan Pothiyan' which are still preserved by their kins. Many people composed verses under the pen name of Bhagat Kabir but it is widely accepted that Mohan Pothiyan is the oldest and authentic source of Original Kabir Verses, Bijak and Kabir Granthavali are adulterated versions of Kabir's disciples and were written later after Kabir's ascension.
The words attributed to Kabir in the Guru Granth Sahib are intermingled with those of the other Gurus. Therefore, it is not difficult to prove that at that time, the Gurus had access to Kabir's words and regularly recited them.
Similarly, there is the story of Baba Farid. Baba Farid lived in the twelfth century. Guru Sahib met Baba Farid's successor 'Sheikh Ibrahim' in Pak-Patan and collected his verses in written form there. Guru Nanak Sahib had already gained widespread fame before this incident; his name was heard everywhere. So this is not an issue either.
Upon reading the Guru Granth Sahib, it becomes evident that Guru Sahib adopted a method of writing where the Bani of each raga is presented with the Gurus' compositions first, followed by those of the Bhagat Sahibs, and then those of other devotees. If Kabir Ji or Baba Farid Ji were indeed his Gurus, their Bani would have been placed before that of the other Gurus, and then the rest of the devotees. However, this is not the case.
Guru Nanak Sahib's verses are presented first, followed by those of the other Gurus, and then the verses of the devotees. This sufficiently proves that Guru Sahib was not Bhagat Kabir or Baba Farid. Another issue is that the Bani of Baba Farid or Bhagat Kabir ji is organized by ragas only in the Guru Granth Sahib, not elsewhere. Guru Arjan Sahib addressed this matter.
There are differing opinions regarding why Guru Sahib recorded the Bani of devotees. In our opinion, Guru Sahib conveyed the message by recording the Bani of these Bhaktas that what we are saying is true, and its significance is as great as that of other great personalities. Through the verses of Bani, they also conveyed the message that it should not be assumed that they have sole authority over God; God and His devotees encompass the entire world, and His grace extends to all.
