Converting

[Guest crader101]

Greetings everyone,
I'm a 22 year old guy who was born into a muslim family and I practiced
Islam until age 16. My family is basically Punjabi Jhatt but they converted
to Islam about 400 years ago. Throughout the last year of my high school, I
started rebelling and I stopped practicing Islam the way I am was supposed
to according the to religion. Later on, I applied to colleges in the UK and
I got accepted into one. That's when I decided I no longer have the same
beliefs as a Muslim, I stopped praying, I stopped believing in Islamic
Beliefs. The only one belief that stayed was I believed in one God.
The way I behaved, the way I acted, none of my friends in the UK thought I
was Muslim. I stopped referring to myself as one and for a brief 2-3 years
I thought maybe I should seek another religion such as Christianity. This
was all happening inside me, but my family didn't know. I still respect
them as human beings and I still always care for them as they raised me.
Now I have been in University for 2 years and since then, all my friends
are either Sikh or White. My close group of friends and everyone sees me as
a brown guy and that's it. I have been to the Paat at my school and people
are probably considering me to be a Sikh. My family doesn't know all this
yet and they are supporting me at University so I will not tell them until
I can make a living on my own.
Last year, one of our friends met a Sikh Punjabi Jhatt girl who is a couple
years younger than me, and she became closer with our group of friends.
Overtime we started to like each other and since a few good months, we have
been going out. Our private intimate life hasn't gone through much, as I
respect her views to wait till marriage. I myself, have decided that after
reading and reading on the religion of Sikhism, that I have found my new
religion. I don't know how the procedure of converting works but I talked
to her and she said basically I just have to believe in being a Sikh, as
her family and herself are more spiritual believers. However her family
doesn't know about me and I am scared for her because we either have to
break up or eventually tell her parents.
Please guide me what I should do, first of all to be a Sikh and second of
all if I am putting her through something wrong because I know 100% that
Sikhism is right for me, and regardless of how our relationship goes, I
will remain true on that. However, is she making a sin to be with someone
like me?
Thank you!!

[Singh559]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to ask. I'm not really sure about the drama part, but if you want to know what Sikhi is check out this YouTube channel that explains what Sikhi is at a very basic level in English:

http://www.youtube.com/user/basicsofsikhi/videos?flow=grid&view=0

[luckysingh99]

There is no problem or issue with being a sikh BUT you can't have it both ways, meaning you can't be practicing or believing in islam and sikhism as well!

Below is part of the offical rehat guidelines that defines a sikh-

Article I – Definition of Sikh
Any human being who faithfully believes in:
• One Immortal Being
• Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh
• The Guru Granth Sahib
• The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus
• The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does NOT owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.

[Singh559]

I firmly believe in order to understand Sikhi you need to understand the essence of Sikhi before adopting the dogma and rehit outter rehit. Rehit is important, but in order to understand why we have it we have to understand what it means to be a Sikh and thus have to explain it to someone who doesn't know what Sikhi is in that way.

Grab some headphones or loud speakers and have a listen to this beautiful explanation at a very basic level of SIkhi:

[Gurpreet14]

I Just know one thing...... Its easy to become Sikh but hard to follow sikhism and become Khalsa... Neva Covert just coz u luv a girl....... this will nt be easyy... think 100 timess

[luckysingh99]

In general, converts are mostly BETTER followers than the ones born into sikhi.

They are generally better and more gurmat than the punjabis who follow sikhi because their parents are and the parents advise or order them to.

We have more punjabis that deface true sikhi than ones who keep it pure.

We shouldn't be scaring off people that want to convert because they mostly do a better jiob than fellow sikhs that are born into the faith.

[Singh559]

I think she was saying just be real and if it happens it should be on your own accord. ^

[luckysingh99]

I think she was saying just be real and if it happens it should be on your own accord. ^

Of course !!!!

You should never rush into anything, but just let it come and happen with the natural flow.

[Guest crader]

Just wondering though. If she does and up marrying me down the road, is she going to be committing a sin because she is with a muslim converted to sikh?

[Guest Juniperberries]

Just wondering though. If she does and up marrying me down the road, is she going to be committing a sin because she is with a muslim converted to sikh?

No you samosa/jallebi! A sikh is a sikh irrespective of his background, heritage etc. So whether your black brown pink or blue, muslim jewish scientologist or jedi, when you give your head to the Guru, thats it, its a new start. It might bother her family...that your not punjabi sikh etc cr*p but thats nothing to do with Sikhi...that would just be her parents being weird...

If your serious about converting to Sikhi, keeping rehat i.e. keeping unshorn hair, five Kakaars etc, then good look brother. If your just "converting", just wana call yourself a sikh so you can be with your girl or coz you think its ok for sikhs to cut their hair be all trendy go clubbing get pissed etc, you really need to rethink...coz thats not Sikhi...its the punjabi culture...but yeah whatever you choose, wish you the best