why sikh should not cut their hair?

[Guest]

got it from Niranjana Singh,

Gur Fateh Parvaan Hove!

I’ll try and keep this short as I can (difficult for me!), however ask that you appreciate that this is a very big topic.

Guru Sahib can be found in the Suraj Parkash Granth having a discussion with the Sikhs on this matter, he states to the effect that Kesh has long been the signifier of beauty, wisdom, knighthood, royalty, spirituality, divinity and so on…the fact that others have chosen to shed theirs is not a reflection of changing times (a question raised by one of the Sikhs), as the sun and moon still exist within the 24 hours of the day on this earth, the times have not changed.

From this, my personal take on this question is actually to turn it around , the question is not so much WHY do Sikh NOT cut their hair, but in fact WHY do OTHERS cut theirs?

Here are some possible, not all answers to this question:

Fashion?

-well, what is fashion? “the prevailing style or custom, as in dress or behaviour following who’s lead is accepted” is a typical dictionary definition. Well, I know who’s lead I wish to follow – Guru Sahib…read on and we’ll come back to this shortly…

Convenience?

-really? What is so inconvenient about keeping one’s kesh tied and neat? Is it really more convenient to be shaving each day and spending time and money in the barbers shop?

Practicality?

How? As above, there is nothing impractical about having Kesh as many situations can be easily adjusted to whilst still maintaining one’s Kesh – ultimately there is very little in terms of work, leisure or other activities/requirements that having “long hair” should make impossible to manage – this is nothing but an excuse to shy away from this perceived responsibility so one can indulge into the first item above.

“The done thing” ?

According to who? – as per above…

Ritual observance or tradition?

This is the key point, which should be noted as the background to all of the above ‘reasons’. It was customary globally for all persons of high stature and rank to have their kesh unshorn. The trend of men shedding their hair and beard began in the Church with the radical St Paul and predominantly in the western world with Alexander the Great – in the pursuit of ‘youthful’ appearance, which he felt the beard hid. Since his time, this trend has been set for the masses who “accepted his lead”

In religious traditions, those who disliked the body and rejected the gift of human birth as something evil, sort to exemplify their rejection of the world through having their head shaved (re: Monks and Nuns) or hair individually plucked. These traditions disown the majesty of the human existence, essentially the majesty of the divine and are replete with renunciation and denial of life, sex, and the world.

Beauty?

Again, according to whom? Alexander? Brad Pitt? It is well known that hair is intrinsically linked with beauty, sexuality and honour – the reasons why it was most often reserved for those of high stature in certain societies, why it is covered in public, with only your mother, siblings and then your lover (wife/husband) being the only ones to see it in full glory. Kesh has long been the signifiers of classical beauty. A shaved face and head are quite the opposite, as per the above, a signifier of denial of life, guilt, crime, etc.

So in summary, I ask you to consider for yourself, why do others cut their hair? Are you a man? If so, why do you shy from being a full man, with a beard and hair – or do you wish to, like others today, subconsciously retain your boyish looks because you don’t wish to handle the responsibility that comes with age, with manhood? Or are you like many today, seeking to be fashionable, if so let’s look at the definition of fashion again and key into “following the lead of who is accepted”…maybe you wish to be fashionable and be clean shaven like the homosexual famous fashion designer, or the promiscuous film actor or indeed the drug addicted rock star…or perhaps you wish to embrace the honour of being keshdhari like that of the most beautiful, handsome, majestic, divine, noble, warrior-poet, spiritual Guru Gobind Singh?

I leave you to ponder over this…happy to discuss further as you see fit.

Gur Fateh!

Niranjana.

[Amrikingh]

interesting

[mehargags]

i agree with N30 singh gud topic

Actually i want to ask other Religion also if there any members here

1.Why Not hindu cut their hair or shave On Tuesday ( i think u many know that hindu beleives that tuesday is there god day & they dont even drink or eat non- veg on that + nothing they can do with hair in india On tuesday every barber shop is closed on this day

So does this mean that there god also want them not cut there hair

2.In Muslims i just want to know that person should have there beard but no moustach, That why all emam have this type of look

But i hardly see any young guy having beard, so it;s mean they r not pakka muslaman Right

I am not writing all this to make divides in Religion but just few things coming in my mind relating to hair so just want to know your reveiws

[DHANBABANANAK]

a muslim told me that a lot of muslims are starting to cut their beards as well not just the MOSTACHE due to the risks of getting attacked. This is coz of the bad rep due to the sept 11 incident.

[DHANBABANANAK]

other reasons of importance of hair. is rom rom har dhave gur mukh pyare da. excuse me if i made a mistake in this tokh. other reasons beard and hair reminds you of god. wen u c some with a beard and hair u get the impression they are religious and meditate on god. another thing i can thing of is, if u worried about ur outer appearance how r gona stop thinking about it when doing simran. U have to think always this body is temp. also we are obeying the hukam of khalsa panth. if we have faith then we would not question anything and what the gurus and gurbani tells us.

if i made any mistakes in above please forgive me, i am pagal.

[BAZ]

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.

[BAZ]

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

[artistformalyknownasodhi]

to stop food from entering ur mustache u should vaat them !¬!!!!!!¬!!!!! that is real funky.....

i sure some were it sasy that ur mucha should be so strong to ballance lemons on them

contect begins now... i got 2, 2 itell ya

[BAZ]

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.

[artistformalyknownasodhi]

lol yeh baz i get ya

[mehargags]

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.

I dontlike your this comment u meant all the person who have mustache are messy people?

i dont write that thing to hurt anyone but to know the truth behind like no body has zet tell me why hindu dont eat non-veg & cut there hair on tuesday & in navratas their one of festival

[Amrikingh]

who is too say moustache shouldnt hagng over the lips, so now we are wiser then God questioning HIm that my beard should have been a short u have made me uncomplete

if you beard is dirty, just simply wash it afterwards, just like you wash your hands after you eat, just like when you wash your butt, just like when you weight train, you cleanse the body from sweat afterwards

[Niranjana]

Dear Baz,

Thanks for your comments, I'd like to discuss the topic of shaving/trimming the moustache with Islamic custom.

I have heard/read usually 3 variations from Muslim source to explain the rationale behind this:

1. The moustache should not interfere with one's call to prayer has one utters divine words

2. The moustache should no interfere with food consumpion (as per your description above)

3. It signifies the distinctiveness of the Muslim from others.

That much said, I have also noticed that many historical/saintly figures within the Islamic world either trimmed both beard and moustache (never shaved either off) or retained both in full. This along with other matters, gives me the incline to suspect that this may have also been a custom the have developed latter? Please share your thoughts...

Thanks,

Niranjana.

[BAZ]

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".

[BAZ]

who is too say moustache shouldnt hagng over the lips, so now we are wiser then God questioning HIm that my beard should have been a short u have made me uncomplete

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.

[BAZ]

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 )

[Amrikingh]

of course we are different and are opinions are going to be different, i have not grudge with you BAZ, just giving my opinion and knowledge ( if its any good, ) to people on this site

respect'

[BAZ]

Ok big juhpee for you pra ji