i feel that each religion and faith overlap in belief @ some point, and i think these core principles are the true religion......we get variations in understanding and different sects forming when 'human' interpretation get involoved.....as individulas we all have the capacity of seeing the same thing and interpretting it in our own way (due to diffrenece in intellect and upbringing etc.)
There is an astpadi in sukhmani sahib that talkes about ritual (don't remember it off by heart, but can get u the exact quote if u like)
- it says that if u perform many religious rituals and are proud of them, then they all go to waist, as having pride in doing a poius deed just defeats the piont, --- think about it, how many sikhs in the world really understand the significance and importance of say doing an akhand paath??, they will pay the money, and just go for the bhog, is this not a ritual, only because we are sikhs doesn't mean we will get automatic salvation in doing such rituals?? because ur only getting the paath done for the sake of it, and if u have pride over this, then u might as well not do anything......so i think regardless of religion, everything we do is a ritual, unless we UNDERSTAND what we are doing, regardless of which religion u belong to.
also, Bani may have reffered 2 hindus and muslims 2 explain this point, but this may be purley as a source of good analogy!......so that people (of those days and now) could relate to it and make sence of it..............(i back this up by saying that in chopei sahib, there is a tukh that says that waheguru does kirpa on all creatures, from the ant to an elephant: from this, bani is saying that kirpa is done on all forms of creature, but to be more exact, the guru could have said 'waheguru does kirpa on all, from the ameoba to the blue whale'....but how many people would understand that?--so they use examples that more people are familiar with)
hope that makes sence!