Jump to content

Possible Conversion


Guest The answered
 Share

Recommended Posts

Guest The answered

I may convert from Islam to Sikhi, but there are of course issues.

I am a young, white male convert to Islam from atheism, so parents aren't really an problem. But leaving Islam will mean that my brothers will hate me, and that will break my heart. I suffer from depression already. If I want to be a Sikh though, I will have to face it some time.

The best, most tolerant Imam (an Arab-American who has moved to the UK) in my city knows that my faith in Islam has been compromised, and I have asked him to help re-affirm my Islam. I do not want to make any wrong and ill-informed choices.

I am looking for knowledgable, English-speaking Sikhs in my area who can answer my questions about Sikhi, and convert me if that is the choice I make. I found several Sikhs and told them of my predicament, but two of them were actually not religious, and one (a young man who kept kesh) said that he was not knowledgeable enough to help me. I couldn't search further, as it would mean going into areas with lots of Muslims who know me, and talking to 'Puggis' might arouse suspicions.

It is of great importance to me that this is kept secret for the time being. Even if I do not convert, my Muslim friends will be greatly saddened if they become suspicious. If I do convert, they will disown me and hate me, even though they love me like their younger brother now. This is one of the things I dislike about Islam. Why do we have this exclusionistic sense of brotherhood? I'm not even allowed to give salam to a 'Kafir'!

I am also worried about racism. As well as the fact that people might be suprised that an English guy is interested in Sikhi, I am also aware that Sikhs and Muslims have a lot of tension between them. Some Sikhs think that Muslims are all barbarians like Aurangzeb or Babur, and Pakistani Muslims tease Sikhs and think they are stupid. Both of these directions are a risk. Hence why I told an Arab-American Imam, not a Pakistani.

I can tell the whole story about why I want to convert if you wish, but I have written it so many times (and it has not been answered) so I'm not going to post it here straight away.

Here's a brief profile of what sort of person I am:

  • Tolerant, I wouldn't have a problem with somebody who left Islam provided they were sincere and didn't start going and making up a bunch of junk
  • Spiritual
  • Left-wing, would support Blair if it weren't for the Iraq debacle and the War on Terror etc
  • I try to be friendly
  • Morally quite conservative
  • I don't like garbage, ie. conspiracy theories, fake science, new-age culty stuff, nationalism etc.
  • Funny, in some people's opinions, at least! ;)
  • I value culture and the arts, but am not well-educated enough (read: Posh! XD) to appriciate them properly
  • I also value science greatly, but I'm skeptical about actual technology because of things like the atom bomb and global warming.
  • Anti-fascist. I believe multi-culturalism is best for our country, and I despise popularist movements (such as the BNP) or even more sinister authoritarian ones.
  • I value honesty
  • I do not believe in the western idea that love is only to be found inside families and relatives, or the 'Islamic' idea that you should only love your co-religionists. The strong politness and kindness often displayed by Indians and Pakistanis should be for everybody.
  • I'm a monotheist, 100%. Polytheism is a superstition invented by ancient cultures.
  • Good and evil exist, but almost everybody is a shade of grey, or even a different colour all together
  • Race is fictional and also a superstition. I do accept that ethnic groups exist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear 'The answered',

I'm sure you have studied/researched Sikhi to come to the idea of adopting the way of life of a Sikh. Since this way of life/path/religion is so VAST. I could tell you what Sikhi means to me but then someone else will post what it means to them and so on and so forth, I wouldn't be surprised if this thread goes to 2+ pages. To be honest, its best to talk to a GURSIKH who is knowledgeable about sikhi in person as you requested instead of discussing online, because everyone will give you their input. To become a Gursikh you must follow the basic tentants and apply the teachings of ALL 10 GURUS, including the initiation ceremony of becoming a sikh by taking amrit by the five beloved ones and living life according to these teachings. Everyone can't follow these teachings to the core so we all start slow, everyone becomes a sikh differently there's no set way to becoming a proper amritdhari gursikh, so to start off you can research the religion a bit more, start to read/understand gurbani, history, etc. goto sangat, do simran, find local gursikhs in your area (which you're already trying to do) so what I want to ask is where are you from? Maybe there's someone on this board in your area to whom you can talk to.

Please forgive me for my mistakes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion, brother you can still be a Muslim and reach God. But become a TrueMuslim. Don't follow the mislead ones that cause terror to the innocent and just have ritualized everything.

Just become true in Islam practices. Repeat the Lords name. Muslim pray to Allah, so see Allah as the God for all not just Muslims. The Lord is one and no one owns him.

Make an honest living. Always be honest in every practice and hold Truth as the highest.

Give to others in need. Regardless of their faith or no faith.

Think about it. Islam is not bad. The people that distort it for personal gain are bad.

Even in Sikhi therer are people out to destroy the true message. Islam was found way before so many have twisted it's practices and the true message takes much effort to discover.

If you still believe in your heart that Sikhi is the path for you then by all means become a Sikh.

Like the pervious poster said talk to a Gursikh in your area about it. They will be able to educate you more on Sikhi.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The answer,

Here are shabad from Guru Nanak Dev ji.

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Maajh on Pannaa 140

sloku mÚ 1 ]

salok ma 1 ||

Salok, First Mehla:

imhr msIiq isdku muslw hku hlwlu kurwxu ]

mihar maseeth sidhak musalaa hak halaal kuraan ||

Let mercy be your mosque, faith your prayer-mat, and honest living your Koran.

srm suMniq sIlu rojw hohu muslmwxu ]

saram su(n)nath seel rojaa hohu musalamaan ||

Make modesty your circumcision, and good conduct your fast. In this way, you shall be a true Muslim.

krxI kwbw scu pIru klmw krm invwj ]

karanee kaabaa sach peer kalamaa karam nivaaj ||

Let good conduct be your Kaabaa, Truth your spiritual guide, and the karma of good deeds your prayer and chant.

qsbI sw iqsu BwvsI nwnk rKY lwj ]1]

thasabee saa this bhaavasee naanak rakhai laaj ||1||

Let your rosary be that which is pleasing to His Will. O Nanak, God shall preserve your honor. ||1||

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Maajh on Pannaa 141

mÚ 1 ]

ma 1 ||

First Mehla:

pMij invwjw vKq pMij pMjw pMjy nwau ]

pa(n)j nivaajaa vakhath pa(n)j pa(n)jaa pa(n)jae naao ||

There are five prayers and five times of day for prayer; the five have five names.

pihlw scu hlwl duie qIjw KYr Kudwie ]

pehilaa sach halaal dhue theejaa khair khudhaae ||

Let the first be truthfulness, the second honest living, and the third charity in the Name of God.

cauQI nIAiq rwis mnu pMjvI isPiq snwie ]

chouthhee neeath raas man pa(n)javee sifath sanaae ||

Let the fourth be good will to all, and the fifth the praise of the Lord.

krxI klmw AwiK kY qw muslmwxu sdwie ]

karanee kalamaa aakh kai thaa musalamaan sadhaae ||

Repeat the prayer of good deeds, and then, you may call yourself a Muslim.

nwnk jyqy kUiVAwr kUVY kUVI pwie ]3]

naanak jaethae koorriaar koorrai koorree paae ||3||

O Nanak, the false obtain falsehood, and only falsehood. ||3||

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Maajh on Pannaa 141

sloku mÚ 1 ]

salok ma 1 ||

Salok, First Mehla:

muslmwxu khwvxu musklu jw hoie qw muslmwxu khwvY ]

musalamaan kehaavan musakal jaa hoe thaa musalamaan kehaavai ||

It is difficult to be called a Muslim; if one is truly a Muslim, then he may be called one.

Avil Aauil dInu kir imTw mskl mwnw mwlu muswvY ]

aval aoul dheen kar mit(h)aa masakal maanaa maal musaavai ||

First, let him savor the religion of the Prophet as sweet; then, let his pride of his possessions be scraped away.

hoie musilmu dIn muhwxY mrx jIvx kw Brmu cukwvY ]

hoe musalim dheen muhaanai maran jeevan kaa bharam chukaavai ||

Becoming a true Muslim, a disciple of the faith of Mohammed, let him put aside the delusion of death and life.

rb kI rjwie mMny isr aupir krqw mMny Awpu gvwvY ]

rab kee rajaae ma(n)nae sir oupar karathaa ma(n)nae aap gavaavai ||

As he submits to God's Will, and surrenders to the Creator, he is rid of selfishness and conceit.

qau nwnk srb jIAw imhrMmiq hoie q muslmwxu khwvY ]1]

tho naanak sarab jeeaa mihara(n)math hoe th musalamaan kehaavai ||1||

And when, O Nanak, he is merciful to all beings, only then shall he be called a Muslim. ||1||

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Aasaa on Pannaa 466

mÚ 1 ]

ma 1 ||

First Mehla:

imtI muslmwn kI pyVY peI kuim@Awr ]

mittee musalamaan kee paerrai pee kumihaaar ||

The clay of the Muslim's grave becomes clay for the potter's wheel.

GiV BWfy ietw kIAw jldI kry pukwr ]

gharr bhaa(n)ddae eittaa keeaa jaladhee karae pukaar ||

Pots and bricks are fashioned from it, and it cries out as it burns.

jil jil rovY bpuVI JiV JiV pvih AMigAwr ]

jal jal rovai bapurree jharr jharr pavehi a(n)giaar ||

The poor clay burns, burns and weeps, as the fiery coals fall upon it.

nwnk ijin krqY kwrxu kIAw so jwxY krqwru ]2]

naanak jin karathai kaaran keeaa so jaanai karathaar ||2||

O Nanak, the Creator created the creation; the Creator Lord alone knows. ||2||

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TheAnswered:

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

You may want to start by reading Sri Guru Granth Sahib to gain some understanding of the spiritual side of Sikhi:

http://www.sikhs.org...lish/frame.html

If you can tell us which city you live, the Sangat here may be able to direct you to a Gursikh who will be able to answer any questions you have in person. It is also helpful to have Sikh friends to support you on your new Path and to encourage you on your journey. Please do not feel that you will be betraying them if you decide to stick with Islam for now, because Sikhs are always happy to befriend a spiritual seeker regardless of creed, colour of skin or nationality.

As Only Five has said, Sikhi teaches that a follower of any religion who has love in his heart for God and a deep desire to meet his Creator can achieve union with Him. If you feel that it may be too difficult for you at this time to make some sort of commitment towards becoming a Sikh, start reading the writings of Sufis like Rumi, Hafez, Sheikh Farid (some of whose writings are in Sri Guru Granth Sahib) who follow a more spiritual version of Islam.

Also, if you can, try to rise a few hours before dawn, recite the name of God (Whom Sikhs call Waheguru) with love and a firm desire to meet Him, and ask for His guidance and grace.

If you are suffering from depression and of need of peace and courage, try listening to Sukhmani Sahib once a day:

ਗਉੜੀ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਮਃ

Ga▫oṛī sukẖmanī mėhlā 5.

Gauree Sukhmani, Fifth Mehl,

ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥

Salok.

Shalok:

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ

Ik▫oaʼnkār saṯgur parsāḏ.

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

ਆਦਿ ਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ

Āḏ gur▫e namah.

I bow to the Primal Guru.

ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ

Jugāḏ gur▫e namah.

I bow to the Guru of the ages.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰਏ ਨਮਹ

Saṯgur▫e namah.

I bow to the True Guru.

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਏ ਨਮਹ ॥੧॥

Sarī gurḏev▫e namah. ||1||

I bow to the Great, Divine Guru. ||1||

ਅਸਟਪਦੀ ॥

Asatpaḏī.

Ashtapadee:

ਸਿਮਰਉ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਉ

Simra▫o simar simar sukẖ pāva▫o.

Meditate, meditate, meditate in remembrance of Him, and find peace.

ਕਲਿ ਕਲੇਸ ਤਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਮਿਟਾਵਉ

Kal kales ṯan māhi mitāva▫o.

Worry and anguish shall be dispelled from your body.

ਸਿਮਰਉ ਜਾਸੁ ਬਿਸੁੰਭਰ ਏਕੈ

Simra▫o jās bisumbẖar ekai.

Remember in praise the One who pervades the whole Universe.

ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਤ ਅਗਨਤ ਅਨੇਕੈ

Nām japaṯ agnaṯ anekai.

His Name is chanted by countless people, in so many ways.

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਸੁਧਾਖ੍ਯ੍ਯਰ

Beḏ purān simriṯ suḏẖākẖ▫yar.

The Vedas, the Puraanas and the Simritees, the purest of utterances,

ਕੀਨੇ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਇਕ ਆਖ੍ਯ੍ਯਰ

Kīne rām nām ik ākẖ▫yar.

were created from the One Word of the Name of the Lord.

ਕਿਨਕਾ ਏਕ ਜਿਸੁ ਜੀਅ ਬਸਾਵੈ

Kinkā ek jis jī▫a basāvai.

That one, in whose soul the One Lord dwells -

ਤਾ ਕੀ ਮਹਿਮਾ ਗਨੀ ਆਵੈ

Ŧā kī mahimā ganī na āvai.

the praises of his glory cannot be recounted.

ਕਾਂਖੀ ਏਕੈ ਦਰਸ ਤੁਹਾਰੋ

Kāʼnkẖī ekai ḏaras ṯuhāro.

Those who yearn only for the blessing of Your Darshan -

ਨਾਨਕ ਉਨ ਸੰਗਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਉਧਾਰੋ ॥੧॥

Nānak un sang mohi uḏẖāro. ||1||

Nanak: save me along with them! ||1||

Regards,

K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest The answered

Thankyou for your good answers. My area is Nottingham, UK. I live in a slightly racist area of Nottingham with few minorities, but I can easily reach areas with lots of Muslims. However, Sikhs are hard to come by.

Dear 'The answered',

I'm sure you have studied/researched Sikhi to come to the idea of adopting the way of life of a Sikh. Since this way of life/path/religion is so VAST. I could tell you what Sikhi means to me but then someone else will post what it means to them and so on and so forth, I wouldn't be surprised if this thread goes to 2+ pages. To be honest, its best to talk to a GURSIKH who is knowledgeable about sikhi in person as you requested instead of discussing online, because everyone will give you their input. To become a Gursikh you must follow the basic tentants and apply the teachings of ALL 10 GURUS, including the initiation ceremony of becoming a sikh by taking amrit by the five beloved ones and living life according to these teachings. Everyone can't follow these teachings to the core so we all start slow, everyone becomes a sikh differently there's no set way to becoming a proper amritdhari gursikh, so to start off you can research the religion a bit more, start to read/understand gurbani, history, etc. goto sangat, do simran, find local gursikhs in your area (which you're already trying to do) so what I want to ask is where are you from? Maybe there's someone on this board in your area to whom you can talk to.

Please forgive me for my mistakes.

I want to meet a Gursikh, but I can't find one. My aim is to see my Imam sometimes, and the Gursikh sometimes, and see what conclusion I come to. This Imam I have mentioned is not just any old Maulvi who does Urdu speeches, he's a pretty famous Arab-American Hanbali scholar and follows the Qadri order. I also intend to ask a Sufi Shaykh called Shaykh Yaqoubi about my issues.

How I came to find Sikhi is a long story, and some day I will tell you lot all about it!

In my opinion, brother you can still be a Muslim and reach God. But become a TrueMuslim. Don't follow the mislead ones that cause terror to the innocent and just have ritualized everything.

Just become true in Islam practices. Repeat the Lords name. Muslim pray to Allah, so see Allah as the God for all not just Muslims. The Lord is one and no one owns him.

Make an honest living. Always be honest in every practice and hold Truth as the highest.

Give to others in need. Regardless of their faith or no faith.

Think about it. Islam is not bad. The people that distort it for personal gain are bad.

Even in Sikhi therer are people out to destroy the true message. Islam was found way before so many have twisted it's practices and the true message takes much effort to discover.

If you still believe in your heart that Sikhi is the path for you then by all means become a Sikh.

Like the pervious poster said talk to a Gursikh in your area about it. They will be able to educate you more on Sikhi.

Thing is, I have some issues with some parts of Islamic theology. For example, the concept of Eternal Hell (how can a benevolent, loving God ever condemn even the greatest sinner for eternity?), as well as issues with several other less crucial things. There are so many things within Islam that my heart can never accept, even if my head does. I want to follow what I really believe, and to have heroes and concepts I truely admire, rather than just following dogma because it's there and 'towing the party line'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Leicester

If your genuinly wanting to meet gursikhs to ask questions e.c.t come to Leiceser on a friday night, Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, east park road from around 6pm to 8pm, its not too far from notts.

There are some very knowlegable and loveable gursikhs who hold English translated sessions at that time, e.g Bhai Kuljit Singh

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thing is, I have some issues with some parts of Islamic theology. For example, the concept of Eternal Hell (how can a benevolent, loving God ever condemn even the greatest sinner for eternity?), as well as issues with several other less crucial things. There are so many things within Islam that my heart can never accept, even if my head does. I want to follow what I really believe, and to have heroes and concepts I truely admire, rather than just following dogma because it's there and 'towing the party line'.

I have one thing to say about the secrecy bit if you're an adult, and that is: If you are an adult, I'm telling you straight up that you're a bit too worried about keeping this a secret.
I couldn't search further, as it would mean going into areas with lots of Muslims who know me, and talking to 'Puggis' might arouse suspicions.

It shouldn't be something you're so worried about. You know... If your Muslims friends disown you, they aren't really your friends eh..?
It is of great importance to me that this is kept secret for the time being. Even if I do not convert, my Muslim friends will be greatly saddened if they become suspicious.

And so what if they find out you're thinking of converting? Whenever someone converts to Islam, the person who helped the individual convert always says something along the lines of "You made the right choice." or "You've seen the light."... However, the person who helped the new Muslim convert is not God, therefore cannot judge that individual and then declare such a thing. Everyone who is devoted to their religion sees the light. Just because one person really likes her/his religion, doesn't mean it is "the" light. If God sees everyone as equals, why would God only show "the" 'light' to a certain number of people? What I mean by this is...choosing a religion (don't matter which one it is) does not mean you made 'the' correct choice. What makes anything like that a correct choice is following the religion with unshakable and undying faith...which you are not doing at the moment.

Thing is, you're confused. I really suggest that you understand what you truly wish for. Like... You know for a fact that there are things about Islam that you cannot accept, however you're worried about your friends disowning you. PICK ONE!...Faith or peers?

Thing is, I have some issues with some parts of Islamic theology.

If you have ANY issues with Islam, you should be more worried about your faith/state of mind, rather than worry about your peers disowning you. You said you're suffering from depression already, but trust me buddy...depression is inevitable when you cannot choose what you want because of worrying about what your peers/"friends" want.

There are so many things within Islam that my heart can never accept, even if my head does.

Like I said...your faith/state of mind is what you should be concerned about, not people disowning you. If you can "never accept" "so many things within Islam", why did you convert?

It's up to you to decide what's more important to you, not what's important to your friends/"friends". No one should stick to a religion because she/he is worried about the religious community, family, or friends disowning them for changing religions.

To better understand what your personal beliefs etc are, what exactly do you dislike/disagree about/with Islam. You said that you don't like how you cannot give a 'salam' to a 'Kafir'.

This is one of the things I dislike about Islam. Why do we have this exclusionistic sense of brotherhood? I'm not even allowed to give salam to a 'Kafir'!

What do you mean by giving 'salam' to a 'Kafir'? What is a 'salam' and what is a 'Kafir'? and..What are 'Puggis'?
I couldn't search further, as it would mean going into areas with lots of Muslims who know me, and talking to 'Puggis' might arouse suspicions.

Please don't feel offended about anything I stated, but I honestly believe that you are very unsure about what you want to achieve by following a (any) religion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The answered, i would strongly advise you going to a Gurdwara Sahib in Nottingham but as your afraid of the backlash you may face if spotted going into a Gurdwara sahib, try emailing someone at http://www.scys-notts.co.uk/.

You'll be able to contact them without fear of your community finding out and i'm sure they'll be able to get you in contact with a Gursikh from nottingham or maybe from Leicester...all the best.

Vaheguroo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share


  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt
  • advertisement_alt


  • Topics

  • Posts

    • yeh it's true, we shouldn't be lazy and need to learn jhatka shikaar. It doesn't help some of grew up in surrounding areas like Slough and Southall where everyone thought it was super bad for amrit dharis to eat meat, and they were following Sant babas and jathas, and instead the Singhs should have been normalising jhatka just like the recent world war soldiers did. We are trying to rectifiy this and khalsa should learn jhatka.  But I am just writing about bhog for those that are still learning rehit. As I explained, there are all these negative influences in the panth that talk against rehit, but this shouldn't deter us from taking khanda pahul, no matter what level of rehit we are!
    • How is it going to help? The link is of a Sikh hunter. Fine, but what good does that do the lazy Sikh who ate khulla maas in a restaurant? By the way, for the OP, yes, it's against rehit to eat khulla maas.
    • Yeah, Sikhs should do bhog of food they eat. But the point of bhog is to only do bhog of food which is fit to be presented to Maharaj. It's not maryada to do bhog of khulla maas and pretend it's OK to eat. It's not. Come on, bro, you should know better than to bring this Sakhi into it. Is this Sikh in the restaurant accompanied by Guru Gobind Singh ji? Is he fighting a dharam yudh? Or is he merely filling his belly with the nearest restaurant?  Please don't make a mockery of our puratan Singhs' sacrifices by comparing them to lazy Sikhs who eat khulla maas.
    • Seriously?? The Dhadi is trying to be cute. For those who didn't get it, he said: "Some say Maharaj killed bakras (goats). Some say he cut the heads of the Panj Piyaras. The truth is that they weren't goats. It was she-goats (ਬਕਰੀਆਂ). He jhatka'd she-goats. Not he-goats." Wow. This is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard in relation to Sikhi.
    • Instead of a 9 inch or larger kirpan, take a smaller kirpan and put it (without gatra) inside your smaller turban and tie the turban tightly. This keeps a kirpan on your person without interfering with the massage or alarming the masseuse. I'm not talking about a trinket but rather an actual small kirpan that fits in a sheath (you'll have to search to find one). As for ahem, "problems", you could get a male masseuse. I don't know where you are, but in most places there are professional masseuses who actually know what they are doing and can really relieve your muscle pains.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use