Sikh Foundations

The most recently-founded religion represented within Complete RE is Sikhism. Whilst the Sikh community in the UK is relatively small, its members are particularly visible, and local groups are usually well-defined, strong in concentration and a colourful presence within their area. Sikhism was selected as one of the six principal religions for study after the Education Reform Act 1988. Sikhism is an easier religion to describe than its older ancestor, Hinduism, or its cousin, Buddhism, because it emerged when writing and printing were well-established practices. The words, and therefore the ideas, of Guru Nanak have come down to us almost verbatim.

Sikhism can be analysed in ways that reflect the component parts of a standard world religion:

• It has a founder.
• It has a holy book and published sets of teachings and doctrines.
• It has founding fathers and saints.
• It has a fixed pattern of worship, a strong code of ethics and several identifying symbols.

What is also true of Sikhism is that it draws aspects of Hindu and Muslim belief and practice together. It uses language borrowed from Christianity, eg many Sikhs refer to the Guru Granth Sahib as the Sikh Bible. Studying Sikhism is, therefore, not as complicated as it might first appear. Indeed, newcomers to the study of religion often find it a good starting place because there are easy access and reference points. To see this for yourself, you are advised to look at the material provided below, in particular the virtual visit. Here, you will see how visual Sikhism is as a religion and get a feel for its colour and customs.

Background information

The origins of Sikhism

Sikh scriptures

Special times

Refer to the Sikh beliefs tour of the virtual visit, particularly screens 1-5 and 12.

Refer to the Sikh worship tour of the virtual visit, particularly screens 12 and 13.