What Is Sikhism? Beliefs, Gurus and Practice of the Sikh Faith
What is Sikhism? An introduction to the faith founded by Guru Nanak: Ik Onkar, the ten Gurus, the Guru Granth Sahib, the Khalsa, gurdwara and history.
Sikhism, or Sikhī, is a monotheistic religion founded in the Punjab region of South Asia by Guru Nanak (1469–1539) and shaped by the nine Gurus who succeeded him. It teaches devotion to one formless God, Ik Onkar, through remembrance of the divine name, honest work and sharing with others, and it rejects distinctions of caste. With some 25 to 30 million followers, most of them in the Indian state of Punjab and a large worldwide diaspora, it is among the world's larger religions.
The Meaning of "Sikh" and the Origins of the Faith§
The word sikh derives from the Sanskrit śiṣya, "disciple" or "learner". In Sikh usage it means one who follows the teaching of the Guru, the enlightener who leads from darkness to light. The religion is sometimes called Gurmat, "the Guru's teaching", and its followers' community the Panth, "the path".
Sikhism arose in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries in the Punjab, a fertile land of five rivers then under the Lodi sultans of Delhi and, from 1526, the Mughal emperors. Its religious world contained Hindu traditions of devotion (bhakti), the Nath yogis, Sufi Muslim orders and the "Sant" poets of northern India such as Kabir and Ravidas, who taught devotion to a formless God and criticised ritualism and caste. Earlier Western scholars often described Sikhism as a synthesis of Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs reject that description, holding that Guru Nanak's teaching was a new and direct revelation, and most modern scholars, while noting the shared religious vocabulary of the age, treat Sikhism as a distinct tradition with its own scripture, institutions and identity.
The Ten Gurus and the Eternal Guru§
Sikh tradition recounts that around 1499 Guru Nanak, then working as a storekeeper in Sultanpur, disappeared into a river for three days and emerged proclaiming "There is no Hindu, there is no Musalman", meaning that all are equal before God. He travelled widely, singing his hymns with the Muslim musician Mardana, and in his last years founded a community of disciples at Kartarpur on the Ravi river, where devotion, work and communal meals were joined.
He was followed by nine successors, each regarded by Sikhs as bearing the same divine light: Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Krishan, Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Arjan compiled the scripture in 1604 and was executed under the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1606; Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed in Delhi in 1675. Before his death in 1708 Guru Gobind Singh declared that there would be no further human Guru and that the Guruship would rest in the scripture, the Guru Granth, and the community, the Guru Panth. Their lives are told in Guru Nanak and the Ten Sikh Gurus.
Core Sikh Beliefs: Ik Onkar, Nam and Hukam§
The Sikh scripture opens with the Mūl Mantar, the "root formula", which begins Ik Onkar, "One Creator", and describes God as true, the creator, without fear, without enmity, timeless, unborn and self-existent, known by the Guru's grace. God is both transcendent and formless (nirankār) and present within all creation. Sikhs reject the worship of images and the idea that God takes incarnation.
Human beings are separated from God by haumai, self-centredness or ego, and entangled in māyā, attachment to the passing world. The remedy is nām simran, constant loving remembrance of the divine Name, through which the devotee comes to live in harmony with hukam, the divine order or will that pervades the universe. Sikhs accept karma and rebirth, but teach that by God's grace (nadar) liberation (mukti) can be attained in this life by a householder living in the world; celibacy and withdrawal are not required. The ideal is summed up in three duties: nām japo, remember God's name; kirat karo, earn an honest living; and vaṇḍ chhako, share with others. These teachings are explained in Sikh Beliefs.
The Gurus taught the equality of all people regardless of caste, religion or sex. Women may lead every part of worship, and the Gurus criticised practices such as satī, the burning of widows. Sikhs acknowledge that social practice, including caste among Sikhs themselves, has not always matched these ideals.
The Khalsa and Sikh Identity§
At the spring festival of Vaisakhi in 1699, according to Sikh tradition, Guru Gobind Singh called for volunteers willing to give their heads for their faith and initiated the first five, the Panj Piāre, "Five Beloved Ones", with sweetened water stirred with a double-edged sword. They formed the Khalsa, the "pure" or "sovereign" community of initiated Sikhs. Men take the name Singh, "lion", and women Kaur, often glossed "princess". Initiated Sikhs keep five articles of faith: uncut hair (kes), a wooden comb (kaṅghā), a steel bracelet (kaṛā), a short sword (kirpān) and cotton undershorts (kachherā). The turban, though not one of the five, is the most visible sign of Sikh identity. See The Khalsa and the Five Ks.
Not every Sikh is initiated. Those who have taken amrit are called amritdhārī; many others keep uncut hair without initiation (keshdhārī), and some cut their hair while identifying as Sikhs. Historic groups such as the Udasis, the Nihangs and the Namdharis maintain distinctive traditions.
Worship, the Gurdwara and Festivals§
A Sikh place of worship is a gurdwārā, "door of the Guru". It houses the Guru Granth Sahib, which is installed each morning on a raised platform under a canopy and ceremonially put to rest at night. Worship consists of the singing of hymns (kīrtan), readings, the communal prayer Ardās and the sharing of sweet offering (kaṛāh prasād). Every gurdwara has a langar, a free kitchen where all sit together to eat regardless of status. Devout Sikhs recite set prayers in the morning and evening, beginning with Guru Nanak's Japjī Sāhib. The most famous gurdwara is the Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, beside the Akal Takht, the seat of the community's temporal authority.
Sikh festivals include Vaisakhi, celebrating the founding of the Khalsa; gurpurbs marking the births and martyrdoms of the Gurus, notably Guru Nanak's birthday in November; Bandi Chhor Divas, celebrated at the time of Diwali; and Hola Mohalla, with displays of martial skill. Life-cycle rites include naming from a randomly opened page of the scripture, the marriage rite of Anand Kāraj and cremation. See Gurdwara, Langar and Sikh Practice.
Sikh History and the Global Sikh Community§
In the eighteenth century Sikhs resisted Mughal and Afghan rule; under Maharaja Ranjit Singh (r. 1799–1839) a Sikh-ruled kingdom dominated the Punjab until the British annexed it in 1849. Under British rule the Singh Sabha reform movement and the campaign of the 1920s to bring gurdwaras under community control shaped modern Sikh institutions. The partition of India in 1947 divided the Punjab and caused great loss of life and displacement. In 1984 the Indian army's assault on the Golden Temple complex, followed by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and violence against Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere, left deep wounds. These events are told in Sikh History.
Sikhs have migrated widely since the late nineteenth century, and large communities live in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Malaysia and East Africa. Sikhs are known for public service, and the practice of sevā, selfless service, is visible in langars and relief work worldwide. The Sikh code of conduct, the Sikh Rahit Maryādā, issued by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the mid-twentieth century, is widely followed as a standard of belief and practice.
Frequently asked questions§
Is Sikhism a branch of Hinduism?§
Sikhs regard their faith as an independent religion with its own revelation, scripture and institutions, and Indian law's past classification of Sikhs with Hindus for certain purposes has been controversial. Sikhism shares some concepts with Indian traditions, such as karma and rebirth, but rejects caste, image worship and the authority of the Vedas.
Why do Sikhs wear turbans?§
The turban (dastār) covers and protects the uncut hair, which Sikhs keep as a gift of God and one of the articles of faith. It is a sign of commitment, dignity and equality, and is worn by most observant Sikh men and by some Sikh women.
How many Sikhs are there?§
Estimates range from about 25 to 30 million worldwide. The great majority live in India, most of them in the state of Punjab, with the largest diaspora communities in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sources and further reading§
- Sikhism: A Very Short Introduction — Eleanor Nesbitt, 2005
- The Sikhs of the Punjab — J. S. Grewal, 1990
- A History of the Sikhs — Khushwant Singh, 1963
- Sikhism: An Introduction — Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, 2011
- The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies — Pashaura Singh & Louis E. Fenech (eds.), 2014
- The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices — W. Owen Cole & Piara Singh Sambhi, 1978