BAZ

Hows this? http://www.sikhgifts.com/pages/products-de...?productId=1181 http://www.sikhgifts.com/pages/products-de...?productId=1182 http://www.sikhgifts.com/pages/products-de...?productId=1185 http://www.sikhgifts.com/pages/products-de...?productId=1186

Thats true hunna... it could be worn small and under the clothes. Actually I know a few people who wear a small kirpan under their shirt. Whats the smallest a kirpan can go?

yeah that is a pretty huge kirpan. Can some kind of compromise be made on the size of the kirpan? After all it is a symbol right so it doesnt have to be a functioning sword now does it?

Who is Suleman? So he was human and was sent to hell after he died and came back as a human?

If getting rid of the 5 evils was that easy most of us would be saints. I would say that taking amrit is the first step for you. Evil knows you have recognised it and now it has stepped up the fight one notch. But you also have realization on your side and you have the tools your Gurus provided to you to conquer these 5 evils... use the tools. Use the 5 Ks to fight the 5 evils. Look to your kara and feel it on your wrist and remember your commitment to your Guru with every action done by you. Let your kesh and kara remind you of your submission to God's will. Let your kara remind you that you are the slave of your Lord. This should keep a check on honkaar. Let your kachera remind you to keep kaam in check. Keep the company of good people who encourage and support you in your faith and spiritual journey. Sikhism is a brotherhood also so use the help of your brothers when you are feeling spiritually weak. Try and remember God with each action and thought. Say the name of God in your mind before you say or do something and you will find it will control what you do and say and even what you think. When all this is done with pure intentions then God willing it will help you overcome the 5 evils.

What is the concept of heaven and hell in Sikhism? How is reincarnation viewed differently in Sikhism than it is seen in Hinduism? I was just thinking that if people are supposed to come back to this earth for the bad deeds they have done in this life then there really doesnt seem to be any room or time for a hell after death. Anyway if someone could educate me on Sikhisms stance on this topic I would really appreciate it

I think images of heaven and hell are like analogies that represent the pain or pleasure we feel because of our closeness or distance to God after our death (thats me coming from a position in not believing in reincarnation by the way). Much like dreams are very visual and the images in our dreams can represent certain feelings I think heaven and hell can be looked at the same way.

I went to the Ahmadi Muslim link http://www.alislam.org/library/links/00000180.html A few shocking things came up which I dont think are true. Can someone here clear them up please? 1) "His choicest friend during these travels was a Muslim, Sheikh Farid, in whose company he passed twelve years of his life." - Did Guru Nanak spend any time with Sheikh Farid? I know one of his companions was a muslim called Mardana but I never heard of him spending time with Sheikh Farid before. 2) "Guru Nanak also married in a Muslim family." - first time I heard this. Are they just pulling this out of their behind or is there any truth in this at all? 3) These things they claim come from Bala's Janam Sakhis... has anyone here ever read these Janam Sakhis? It all seems a bit far fetched. If these people are purposly making blatent lies about Sikhism then they should be corrected and someone needs to write to them refuting their false claims.

Enough noise should be made about this to make sure Balpreet Singh wins. It would be a dangerous thing if he didnt because it could set the precedent for bans against kirpans in other places such as shopping malls and any public place just because some redneck prejudiced hick decides to complain.

Can someone provide evidence in the form of a quote on this? If it isnt in the Guru Granth Sahib then where is it? If it is not in the Guru Granth Sahib then is the source text of this ruling debateable and doubtful?

I like the way you look at this subject N30 Singh. It just seems that this sort of seperation between amrit shak Sikhs and those born into the religion almost is becoming a kind of Brahminism. The same way a lower caste persons touch or food would "dirty" a brahmin. Im sure they had some very logical reasons for these prejudices. But is religion about Logic or is it about Love??? Logic can be a game of the mind while Love is greater than the workings of the mind.

I saw this story on TV a few years back and I was horrified and disgusted by this. They had interviews with her husband and tried to talk to her uncle who was alleged to have masterminded the killing along with her mother. Apparently she begged for her life on the phone with her mum right before her mother gave instructions on the phone to her kidnappers to kill her. If anyone else has more details on this story they should post it up here.

Good move! Forced marriages should be banned. I didnt think it happened as much anymore but maybe I was wrong. Sag-roti, forced marriages are actually forbidden in Islam. If a marriage is done without the girl or woman's consent it is considered to be an illegal marriage and is null and void according to Shariah law. But then again people who proclam to be muslims or hindu or sikh dont always follow their religion and let their culture overide the teachings of their proclaimed faith.

What exactly are the reasons an amritdhari can't have sex with a non-amritdhari (who is also a Sikh and is their spouse)? Sounds kind of disturbing to me actually to be quite honest. I mean what would happen then if 2 Sikhs got married and one took amrit after marriage and the other didn't? Would you have to stop having sex with your wife and divorce her? This is why this whole issue sounds disturbing and doesnt seem to be in line (in my mind) to the core teaching of Sikhism.

Thanks for this article. Listening to Bhai Avtar Singh Ji was an amazing experience and I recommend everyone to see him if they are able to.

Ok big juhpee for you pra ji

Dear Niranjana, I believe the different styles in beard are just that... styles. I think that considering the hadith of the Prophet that a beard is supposed to be a beautiful thing on a mans face muslims have had their interpretations on what is beautiful. I personally dont like the look of a shaved of moustache with a full beard. I suppose the beard styles on muslims could be compared to the pag styles on sikhs... they have changed over time and certain individuals have a prefered style (kenyan pag, naamdhari pag, sharp edged tharkhaan pag and a full out Surjit Bindhrakhia pag )

Someone on here asked what the Islamic view was regarding beards and I clarified that. Obviously a muslim and a sikh are going to have a difference of opinion on this matter as both have different interpretations as to what is the will of God. A Sikh will believe that he is following Gods will by not cutting his hair while a muslim believes he is following Gods will by following the guidelines of the Quran and the example of the Prophet Muhammad. I believe it is the intention behind the act that is important in that both parties are trying to follow the will of God and actions are judged on intention. As a muslim I may not agree with a sikh on this matter but I can certainly respect and understand his view on it.

Mehargags, why dont you read my comment that you quoted again to try and understand what I am saying. I never implied that people with moustaches are messy people. I juststated the fact that if one has long moochan then they will naturally get dirty with food. A messy person would not clean them but as I also stated in my comment "cleanliness is a big part of Islam just as it is in Sikhi".

LOL. Ive seen some dangerous looking mustaches! Some that looks like a bulls horns (thanks to fixo and hair wax) Oh another reason why muslim men were instructed to trim their mustache was to keep them humble. Sometimes "vaating" moochaan and growing them long and curling them could be considered a thing done out of pride and ego which is not very helpful to spiritual growth. If you look at some old photos or rajput kings and princes you will see the huge moustaches which have been curled and twisted into shape.

I have also heard that many muslims have shaved their beards off after 9/11 and I can see where they are coming from. I believe many Sikh men also shaved their beards after 1984 when hindu mobs began attacking sikhs in India. To me a beard is an important tool on a religious/spiritual path. A beard doesnt make someone a pakka musalmaan or sikh. I have met and talked with beardless muslims and sikhs who have strengthened my faith but I'm sure we have come across complete moorakhs who have long beards. Osama has a big beard while someone like Sheikh Hamza Yusuf has a little goatie and I consider Hamza Yusuf to be a much better muslim. With that being said I have also come across many people who have beards who have srengthened my faith and some of them are on this website also

Mehargags, muslim men are required to keep beards because it distinguishes a man from a woman. The length of the beard is debateable for muslims as different scholars have different interpretations on this matter (but for muslims the beard must be cut to some extent). A hadith also states that a beard is a mark of manly beauty. Keeping the beard cut to a certain length and trimming the moustache also visibly distinguished muslims from people of other faiths around them. Keeping beards also keeps in line with the tradition of all prophets mentioned in the Quran. Keeping a beard is also a "sunnah" of the Prophet Muhammad. "Sunnah" means it is "the way" of the Prophet so muslim men copy that as he is considered the highest role model for muslims. Keeping a thin beard like I do is a fashonable thing in the West but I remember when I visited Bali I was greeted by "Asalaamualaikum" by the locals because they could tell from my beard that I was muslim. Some muslims shave their moustache right off because of a hadith that states that men must grow their beards but trim their moustache. Shaving it right off is just a style (it was probably easier to shave it off completely than trim it with a kenchi in the olden days). Basically the moustache isnt supposed to hang over the lips because you could get food in it and it could look messy and cleanliness is a big part of Islam just as it is in Sikhi. Dhanbabananak, I think it is good to question things in religion but one must be sure where the questioning is coming from. If it is with sincerity then I think questioning can lead to a higher understanding.

Thanks Harry! U the best!

Not really much there that is note worthy except this: This is Guru Tegh Bahadur's own hand writing apparently and if this style could be perfected with a calligraphic brush it would make an amazing script. We really need more emphasis on good Punjabi and hindi calligraphy.

Im looking for some good punjabi and hindi calligraphy but cant seem to find any. Does anyone here know of some online examples of good punjabi or hindi calligraphy styles? Is there any? If not I think its about time someone designed some. There is so much amazing calligraphy in arabic/persian scripts (http://www.sakkal.com/articles/art_arabic_calligraphy/arabic_calligraphy_styles.html). I think the line we have at the top of punjabi and hindi alphabets limits us to how creative we can get but we must have some talented calligraphers who can work around this to come up with beautiful styles.