Fast facts
- Began
- 1469 onwards, Punjab, in what is now India and Pakistan
- Founder / origin
- Guru Nanak, followed by nine further Gurus
- Followers
- About 25–30 million
- Figure from
- Pew Research Center estimates and the Census of India (2011)
- Where
- Punjab in India, with major communities in Britain, Canada, the United States, Malaysia and East Africa
- Scriptures
- The Guru Granth Sahib, treated as the living and final Guru, containing hymns of the Sikh Gurus and also of Muslim and Hindu saints, including Kabir and Sheikh Farid
- View of God
- One God, without form, without birth, self-existent, called Ik Onkar and Waheguru
Core beliefs
- One God, formless and beyond image — the opening line of Sikh scripture states God is one, the true name, the creator, without fear, without hate, timeless, unborn and self-existent
- The ten Gurus taught the path; the scripture itself is now the Guru
- Rejection of caste, of idol worship, of ritual purity rules and of a priestly class
- Three duties: remember God (naam japna), earn an honest living (kirat karni), share with others (vand chakna)
- Seva — selfless service — as worship in action
- Karma and rebirth are retained, with union with God as the end of the cycle
The Khalsa and the five Ks
In 1699 Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa, the community of the initiated. Initiated Sikhs keep the five Ks: kesh (uncut hair, covered by the turban), kangha (comb), kara (steel bracelet), kachera (undergarment) and kirpan (a small sword). Men take the name Singh and women Kaur.
Practice
Worship in the gurdwara, where the scripture is read and hymns are sung; langar, the free communal kitchen open to anyone of any faith, where all sit on the floor at the same level; festivals including Vaisakhi and the Gurus' birth anniversaries. Sikhs do not fast ritually and do not undertake pilgrimage as an obligation.
The Islamic view
Where it meets Islam, and where it differs
Common ground
- One God, formless, unborn, without partner — a genuinely close overlap with , and the closest of any Indian tradition.
- No images and no idols in worship.
- Human equality regardless of birth, and no priesthood.
- Charity and feeding others as an act of worship; langar and the Islamic emphasis on feeding the poor say much the same thing.
- Modest dress and covering the head in worship for both men and women.
Where Islam differs
- Karma and reincarnation, rather than one life followed by resurrection and judgement.
- The Guru Granth Sahib is bowed before and installed with ceremony; Islam permits reverence for scripture but no prostration to any created thing.
- Muhammad (SAW) is not accepted as a prophet, and the line of revelation is understood to be closed with the Gurus.
Talking points
- Read them the Mul Mantar and Surah al-Ikhlas next to each other. The likeness in describing God is striking and honest, and Sikhs usually enjoy the comparison.
- Langar and zakat: both traditions say a religion that does not feed people is not serious. Volunteer, eat there, and talk afterwards.
- Ask about rebirth: if God is just and merciful, why would He not settle the account once, clearly, on a day appointed?
- Know the history. Sikhs and Muslims share Punjab, a language and a great deal of pain from 1947. Acknowledge it honestly.
Avoid
- Do not call Sikhism a blend of Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs reject that description firmly and it will be heard as dismissive.
- Do not confuse the turban with Muslim dress or make assumptions about their views on Islam.
- Do not raise the executions of the Gurus under Mughal rule casually; if it comes up, do not defend injustice.
Sources
- Guru Granth Sahib, the Mul Mantar
- Census of India (2011) and Pew Research Center estimates
- Eleanor Nesbitt, Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction
- Qur'an 112:1–4
This overview describes the tradition as its own followers describe it. The Islamic view is kept in its own section above so the description stays honest.
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