Sikhism at a glance

Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1538) in the 15th Century and he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He taught a strict monotheism, the brotherhood of humanity. He rejected idol worship.

The name of the religion (Sikh) means learner. It is often mispronounced 'seek'. It should be pronounced 'se-ikh', with the final 'kh' sound like the 'kh' in Mikhail Gorbachev.

Sikhs think religion should be practiced by living in the world and coping with life's everyday problems. The most important thing in Sikhism is the internal religious state of the individual.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.

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

• Serve others

The Sikh place of worship is called a Gurdwara and The Sikh scripture is a book called the Guru Granth Sahib

The tenth Sikh Guru (Guru Gobind Singh Ji) decreed that after his death the spiritual guide of the Sikhs would be the teachings contained in that holy book, so it now has the status of a Guru, and we the 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.

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