Sikhism

Sikhism, or Sikhi, is a religion and philosophy that began in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent near the close of the 15th century CE. It ranks among the most recently established major faiths, with 25 to 30 million followers, called Sikhs. The faith grew from the spiritual teachings of its first guru, Guru Nanak (1469–1539), and the nine gurus who followed him. The tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), designated the Guru Granth Sahib—the central religious scripture—as his successor, ending the line of human gurus. Sikhs view the Guru Granth Sahib as the eleventh and eternal living guru. Core beliefs, outlined in the Guru Granth Sahib and other texts, include faith in and meditation on the one creator (Ik Onkar), the divine unity and equality of all people, selfless service (sevā), working for justice and the well-being of all (sarbat da bhala), and honest living. Sikhism rejects the idea that any single religion holds absolute truth. Consequently, Sikhs do not actively seek converts, though voluntary converts are generally accepted. Meditation and remembrance (simran) are key to feeling God’s presence, expressed through musical kirtan or internal naam japna (meditation on God’s name). Baptised Sikhs must wear the five Ks—articles of faith that set them apart, including kesh (uncut hair). Most religious Sikh men therefore keep their hair uncut and wear a turban. The religion developed amid religious persecution, drawing converts from both Hinduism and Islam. Mughal emperors tortured and executed two gurus—Guru Arjan (1563–1606) and Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)—after they refused to convert to Islam. This persecution led Guru Gobind Singh to found the Khalsa in 1699, an order meant to protect freedom of conscience and religion, whose members embody the qualities of a sant-sipāhī ("saint-soldier"). Most Sikh scriptures were originally written in Gurmukhī script, standardised by Guru Angad from Laṇḍā scripts once used in present-day Pakistan and North India. Followers are called Sikhs, meaning "students" or "disciples" of the guru. The English word "Sikhism" comes from the Punjabi term Sikhi, which means the "temporal path of learning" and is rooted in the verb sikhana ("to learn"). The Global Institute of Sikh Studies translates "Sikh" as "bearers of sikhiā [wisdom]". Some Sikhs reject the exonym "Sikhism," arguing it was coined by British colonists and implies a fixed worldview at odds with Sikh philosophy’s fluid nature; they prefer the endonym Sikhi. Other names for the faith include gursikhi, gurmat, or dharam. Sikhism’s foundation lies in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors, who stress the link between spiritual growth and everyday moral conduct. Guru Nanak summarised this: "Truth is the highest virtue, but higher still is truthful living." He emphasised Ėk nūr te sab jag upjiā ("From the one light, the entire universe welled up") and taught his disciples through real-life examples. Sikhism is monotheistic and panentheistic. Sikhs believe in one God, who is simultaneously within everything and all-encompassing. This oneness is expressed as Ik Onkar. The word for God is Waheguru ("wondrous teacher"), considered Nirankar ("shapeless"), Akal ("timeless"), Karta Purakh ("the creator being"), Akaal Purkh ("beyond time and death"), and Agam Agochar ("incomprehensible and invisible"). God has no literal gender, but is metaphorically presented as masculine, with God’s power as feminine. Guru Gobind Singh called God his father and God’s creative power his mother. The Guru Granth Sahib describes all humans as soul-brides longing to unite with their husband Lord, and states that God has created life on many worlds. The scripture opens with Ik Onkar, the "One Creator," understood as monotheistic unity. The traditional Mul Mantar runs from ik onkar to Nanak hosee bhee sach. Māyā is seen as a temporary illusion or "unreality"—a deviation from pursuing God and salvation, where worldly attractions offer only illusory, temporary satisfaction and pain. Nanak emphasised māyā as referring to worldly values, not the world’s unreality. The influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust—the Five Thieves—are considered especially distracting and harmful.