I am of the Sikh faith. Ever since the founding of the faith more than 500 years ago, Sikhs have used 'Allah' to refer to God as well as many other terms. The word 'Allah' appears repeatedly in their Holy Book. The religion is epitomised by the Mool Mantar that appears as the first verse in the Sikh Holy Book.
Both Islam and Sikhism believe in the concept of one God where God in Islam, generally known as- “Allah” and in Sikhism- “Waheguru”.
Sikhism believes that God is formless (nirankar). It is a monotheistic religion in that it believe in a single God (Waheguru), and it has also been seen as a form of panentheism. God in the nirgun aspect is without attributes, unmanifest, not seen, but all pervading and permeating, omnipresent.
Names peculiar to Sikhism for God are Naam (lit. name), Shabad (word) and Waheyguru (Wow true Master).
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion. This means that Sikhs believe there is one God. One of the most important names for God in Sikhism is Waheguru (Wonderful God or Lord). Sikhs learn about God through the teachings of Guru Nanak and the nine Sikh Gurus who came after him.
Adi Granth, (Punjabi: “First Book”) also called Granth or Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of Sikhism, a religion of India.
Since 1699, about two centuries after the founding of the religion, Sikh leaders have prohibited their members from cutting their hair, saying long hair is a symbol of Sikh pride. The turban was conceived to manage the long hair and intended to make Sikhs easily identifiable in a crowd.
The major tribes and clans among Punjabi Muslims are the Jatts, Rajputs, Arains, Gujjars and Awans.
In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life. Life After Death: Sikhs believe that upon death one merges back into the universal nature, just as a drop of rain merges back into the ocean. Individuality is lost. Sikhs do not believe in heaven or hell.
Ik Onkar, also spelled Ek Onkar or Ik Oankaar (Gurmukhi: ੴ or ਇੱਕ ਓਅੰਕਾਰ; Punjabi pronunciation: [ɪkː oːəŋkaːɾᵊ]); literally, "one Om", hence, "There is only one God or one Creator") is a phrase in Sikhism that denotes the one supreme reality.
While organically related to Hinduism, with the religious philosophy of the Gurus showing both continuity with and reaction against earlier Hindu thought, the Sikh faith is a religion in its own right, with a strong sense of its own identity throughout its existence.
The Sikh code of conduct on the Sikh diet (Rehat Maryada)
The Rehat Maryada states that Sikhs are bound to avoid meat that is killed in a ritualistic manner such as Halal (Muslim), Kosher (Jewish) or Bali (Hindu).
The religion of Sikhism emerged in the context of medieval India, where many Hindus and Muslims of the Punjab region became Sikhs through conversion. The original Sikhs were thus all converts, with the first one being Bhai Mardana, a former Muslim.
Sikhism and Islam Conflict
The Sikhs people perceive the Islam people as their enemy religion. The strong religion-political conflicts growing among them are felt in Punjab where the two communities are ready to kill each other, and this is seen as a religious massacre.
Male infants are not circumcised. Tobacco products, other intoxicants or meat products should not be taken into Sikh homes. Sikhs may prefer for shoes to be removed when entering a home.
Intoxication – A Sikh must not take hemp (cannabis), opium, liquor, tobacco, cocaine, narcotics, etc. In short, any intoxicant is not allowed.
Today, however, the majority religion of Punjab is Sikhism, which originated from the teachings of Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. Hindus make up the largest minority, but there also is a significant population of Muslims. There are small communities of Christians and Jains in some areas.
According to Sikhism, death is a natural process, it's only the physical body that dies, and the soul lives on through transmigration and reincarnation. For them, the purpose of life is to move closer to Waheguru, the Sikh name for God, and that death will help break the cycle of reincarnation.
The name most widely used for God by Sikhs is Waheguru , which means 'wondrous enlightener'. Sikhs believe that there is only one God, who created everything. They believe that Waheguru must remain in the mind at all times.
The Punjabis are an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan peoples, originating from the Punjab region, found in Pakistan and northern India. Punjab literally means the land of five waters (Persian: panj (“five”) ab (“waters”)).
"There is a difference between Sikh and Punjabi culture as the latter also covers Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and people of all other religions living in Punjab, but the Sikh culture is distinct," he said.
Zara, Punjabi is a word to describe a region in North India Punjab and the people who live there or have come from there... Punjabi. It is not a slang word, but could be used pejoratively if used as a racist insult. In the same way that "Paki".
The Sikh religion forbids cutting or shaving any bodily hair. Orthodox Sikhs always carry a dagger with them, lest someone try to force them to do something against their religion.
This includes regular maintenance of hair which includes but is not limited to combing at least twice daily, washing regularly and not allowing for public touching.
Sikhs are thus not allowed to eat any food prepared through a ritualistic process. Sikhs are not meant to eat Kosher (Jewish food prepared by a special ritual/process), or Halaal (Muslim meat prepared with a special ritual). Sikhs are also not supposed to drink alcohol or consume any other intoxicants.