Guru Har Rai was the seventh Guru of the Sikhs, and was put to the throne of the Guru, when he was all but fourteen years of age. He died at the age of thirty-one, but for the seventeen year that he was the Guru of the Sikhs, he made his own contribution to the Sikh community.

Guru Har Rai was a Guru who wanted to lead his people by example. He never preached to his people anything that seemed like hollow speeches. He made his point in course of day to day activities, and explained to his people how they could improving themselves. He was very close to his devotees, and they often approached him with all their doubts and problems without any hesitation. He was always available to them and patiently sorted out their problems. He never forced his opinions on them. Instead, he wanted them to change for the better on their own will, and not because he pressurized them. This is how he contributed towards making the Sikhs a morally strong community. He also encouraged team work and involved himself with the others in all the activities. He made sure that all the Sikhs worked, prayed and sang together. Thus spreading a feeling of unity and harmony amongst them and giving the Sikhs a distinct identity of their own. They also learnt to express themselves fearlessly. Through the Guru would often make his own dictions, but he would still hold discussions and debates, and encourage his devotees to talk things out in such a way that they finally reached the right decision. This process gradually, began to sink in and over time, the Sikhs began to take just decisions on their own. Guru Har Rai regarded this as a major achievement of his life.

What endeared him most to his people was his simplicity. Guru Har Rai was the epitome of simplicity, since he led a simple life and even respected simplicity in others. He not only believed in simple living but even inspired others to do so. Even the thought that he expressed or the way he interpreted and explained the holy scripture to the Sikh devotees was in most simple language. There were many Sikhs who at first read the Holy Granth without understanding it, but when they asked their doubts he made it look very simple.

Guru Har Rai used to even value true and sincere devotion in his Sikhs. He wanted them to believe in, and have full faith in Guru Nanak and the Holy Granth. He was most touched by sincere devotion and never failed to appreciate it. He respected and loved true devotees as much as they loved him. That is why the Guru visited the old women�s house and ate her simple meal happily. Moreover, he forewent his lunch because a devotee in a far-off place had thought of him lovingly; and he was moved to tears when Jivan sacrificed his life for a young boy. He said that if one was devoted to the Guru, then one was showing respect and devotion to all the other Gurus before him too.

Guru Har Rai was also very respectful of the Holy Granth. He considered it the sacred relic of Guru Nanak and a jewel of the Sikh religion. He felt that if one exhibited any disrespect towards the Holy Granth, he was being disrespectful towards Guru Nanak himself. He began his day reciting verses from the holy book and then listening to his devotees sing the hymns after the daily prayers. Though Guru Har Rai did not add anything to the collection of Holy verses, he appreciated it very much and held it in utmost to his devotees, He inspired them to follow these principles in their daily life.

Guru Har Rai tenure as a Guru, occupies a very significant place in the history of Sikhism. The period before Guru Har Rai was marked by violence end blood shed. But after Guru Har Rai became the spiritual leader he brought about a period of peace, of spiritual progress, and love and harmony among the Sikhs. It was a period when he actually moulded the Sikhs into men of courage, determination, iron-will and devotion. His major contribution was in uniting the Sikhs into a strong and unbeatable force. He was aware of the troubled times that lay ahead for the Sikhs, and he wanted them to stand up bravely for it. He did all this by persuasion and not by force.

He embodied in his person, the very essence of Sikhs religion which emphasized strongly in love, harmony, devotion and single-minded service to humanity. Though he died at such an early age, he left nothing incomplete or undone. His work that he did with so much simplicity and devotion has contributed a great deal in making Sikhs religion what it is today.

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