The Faith

The beliefs, practices, and values of Sikhi — the evergreen foundations beneath the history. Like everything on this site, each topic is cited.

• Foundations & Philosophy

  The core beliefs of Sikhi — the oneness of God, the equality of all people, and a life of devotion, honest work and service.

• Ik Onkar — One God

  The foundational Sikh belief in one universal, formless, timeless Creator, expressed in the opening words of the Guru Granth Sahib.

• The Guru Granth Sahib

  The Sikh scripture and, since 1708, the eternal Guru — a collection of sacred hymns compiled by the Gurus themselves.

• Festivals & Gurpurabs

  The days the Sikh community marks together — the anniversaries of the Gurus, and festivals rooted in Sikh history.

• Ceremonies & Rites of Passage

  The ceremonies that mark a Sikh life — naming, initiation, marriage and death — all centred on the Guru Granth Sahib.

• The Rehat Maryada

  The Sikh code of conduct — the shared discipline of belief and practice, approved by the SGPC in 1945.

• Women in Sikhism

  Equality between women and men is written into Sikh teaching from the beginning — in principle and in the community's institutions.

• Naam Simran

  Remembrance of the divine Name — the central spiritual practice of Sikhism, and the one the Gurus return to more than any other. Not a technique for altered states, but a way of living with attention.

• The Five Ks

  The five articles an initiated Sikh wears at all times — uncut hair, comb, steel bracelet, undergarment and sword. They are the most visible thing about Sikh identity and the least casually understood.

• The Dasam Granth

  A large second scripture associated with Guru Gobind Singh, containing compositions used daily by every Sikh — and others whose authorship has been argued over for two centuries. The most contested text in the tradition.