Born: 1440
Born In: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Kabir
(Saint and Mystic Poet)
Kabir was a much revered 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint whose writings inspired people hailing from all faiths including Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. Several of his verses are included in the Sikh’s Holy Scripture Adi Granth. The details surrounding his birth are obscure though it is known that he was raised in a Muslim family and was later greatly influenced by the Hindu bhakti leader Ramananda. It is believed that he was spiritually inclined from a young age and grew up to be critical of both Hinduism and Islam. An independent thinker, he questioned the futile and meaningless rituals followed by the adherents of both Hinduism and Islam, and suggested that the True God is only with the person who is on the path of righteousness and considered all creatures on earth as his own self. Because of his criticism of religions, he was threatened by both Hindus and Muslims but that did not deter the great poet from expressing his views. He was associated with the Sant Mat, a group of teachers that assumed prominence in the northern part of the Indian sub-continent from about the 13th century. One of the Sant Mat sects is the Kabir Panth, a religious community that recognizes him as its founder.
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