Sikhism is the youngest of the great world faiths. There are 20 million Sikhs in the world, most living in India.
Sikhism is Britain’s third most popular religion, with about half a million Sikhs living in the UK.
Sikh men are easily identified by their beards and turbans, which are an outward sign of their religious identity.
The Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara or temple.
Sikhism does not have priests, but most gurdwaras will have a Granthi. A Granthi is a learned Sikh who is skilled in reading the scriptures, however, a Granthi has no special religious status.
The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth, often called the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sikhs believe that the words of these scriptures are the present day embodiment of the Sikh Guru and they treat the book with the respect and devotion that they would have given to a human Guru.
Sikhism does not actively look for converts, but it is thoroughly welcoming to those who do want to convert.
The Bare Essentials of Sikhism
- Founded in the 15th century CE
- Founded in the Punjab district of what is now India and Pakistan
Most of the world's 20 million Sikhs still live in the Punjab
- Founded by Guru Nanak
Present day Sikhism is still based on Guru Nanak's teachings and those of the 9 Sikh gurus who followed him
- Sikhism is a monotheistic religion
(which means a religion with only one God)
- Sikhism emphasises social and sexual equality
- Sikhism stresses the importance of doing good actions rather than merely carrying out rituals
* Sikhs believe that the way to lead a good life is to:
- Keep God in heart and mind at all times
- Live honestly and work hard
- Treat everyone equally
- Be generous to the less fortunate
* The Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara
- Gurdwara is a punjabi word meaning gateway to the Guru
The Sikh scripture is a book called the Guru Granth Sahib
The tenth Sikh Guru decreed that after his death the spiritual guide of the Sikhs would be the teachings contained in that book, so it now has the status of a Guru, and Sikhs show it the respect they would give to a human Guru .
The community of men and women who have been initiated into the Sikh faith is the Khalsa. The Khalsa celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1999
Guru Gobind Singh decreed that where Sikhs could not find answers in the Guru Granth Sahib, they should decide issues as a community, based on the principles of their scripture