'shaheed'

[Singhshaster]

Why are we always quick to label someone as a shaheed? If someone gets killed theses days they automatically made into a shaheed. Shaheed comes from the arabic word to denote a matyre. Someone who dies in defence of a religion or dies while fighting a cause.

These days if someone goes out to do some shopping and gets hit by a bullet and dies, instantly becomes a shaheed.

[Guest Jacfsing2]

Why are we always quick to label someone as a shaheed? If someone gets killed theses days they automatically made into a shaheed. Shaheed comes from the arabic word to denote a matyre. Someone who dies in defence of a religion or dies while fighting a cause.

These days if someone goes out to do some shopping and gets hit by a bullet and dies instantly becomes a shaheed.

The reason people do it is to make them feel like people are still being Shaheed for Sikhi. It makes people feel more right.

[Guest]

Why are we always quick to label someone as a shaheed? If someone gets killed theses days they automatically made into a shaheed. Shaheed comes from the arabic word to denote a matyre. Someone who dies in defence of a religion or dies while fighting a cause.

These days if someone goes out to do some shopping and gets hit by a bullet and dies instantly becomes a shaheed.

I feel the same way. A true shaheed is the one who knows they are going to die and their jeevan is of a high gursikh. I won't call a Mona a shaheed.

[Balkaar]

In my Nana's Pind, Talhan, dist. Jalandhar, there is a Guru Ghar that was erected in memory of a bazurg Gursikh who was named a Shaheed after he met with an accident in a well whilst installing a pulley. His name was Baba Nihaal Singh. He was an upstanding Sikh, but to call him a martyr for dying whilst going about his daily profession really is extravagantly silly.

Its not just the term Shaheed that gets thrown around with careless abandon. Mahapurakh, Sant, Giani, Brahmgiani, all of these titles are administered too readily.

[Guest]

In my Nana's Pind, Talhan, dist. Jalandhar, there is a Guru Ghar that was erected in memory of a bazurg Gursikh who was named a Shaheed after he met with an accident in a well whilst installing a pulley. His name was Baba Nihaal Singh. He was an upstanding Sikh, but to call him a martyr for dying whilst going about his daily profession really is extravagantly silly.

Its not just the term Shaheed that gets thrown around with careless abandon. Mahapurakh, Sant, Giani, Brahmgiani, all of these titles are administered too readily.

I agree 100%

[MisterrSingh]

The title 'Shaheed' should be conferred upon only someone who knowingly and willingly lays down their life for Sikhi, i.e. a conscious decision to embrace a guaranteed death.

When it comes to high-pressure situations such as a protest and a march for a cause, I find the line becomes a bit blurred. In that situation you could argue you're taking your life into your own hands, but equally you don't wish to die, although there's a chance you might. In that situation I honestly don't know what those who lose their lives should be termed as.

[JagsawSingh]

Strictly speaking though, the word 'Shaheed', by very definition, means someone who has laid his life down for Islam. Similar to the way that the ancient greek word for 'witness' was 'maturos' (i.e the origin of our English word 'martyr'), the word Shaheed only meant 'witness' in classical Arabic. It was in one of the hadiths of the Quran that it was first given a new meaning, perhaps borrowing from the Greek example, i.e as someone who dies for Islam.

As for how it reached us, well Arabic penetrated Persian and Persian of course is part and parcel of Punjabi and before you know it we too started using the word. That doesn't, of course, change the actual definition of the word just as we can't just suddenly decide to change the meaning of the word 'bread' just because it suits us. Its too late now of course because the word shaheed is very much a part of our psyche but perhaps a long time yesteryear we should have come up with our own word which specificaly meant a martyr for Sikhi.

[StarStriker]

I won't call a Mona a shaheed.

Wat kind of pathetic attitude is that? Look at how many kharkus gave their lives for the panth n the movement. Sukha/jinda were also mona for a substantial time, even upon their time of hanging/shaheedi, though they had long dharis, but their kes wasnt as long, as it takes time for it grow back. Look at deepa heranwala, THE most prolific sharpshooter of all kharkus, brave as anyfink, he was mona for most of the time, n started keepin kes towards the accordin to some. Also shaheed udham singh also cut kes to evade capture n keep to his 20yr promise to get badla for sikhs/panjabis!

For a non-sikh example, look at guy fawkes, fightin a battle vs king james I, for equal rights of catholics who wernt allowed to practise their dharam, congregate openly, profess their catholicism openly, without bein arrested n killed. Had ideas to blow up houses of parliament, was ratted out by a sell out informant n made to look a terrorist to the whole nation/world, to which present ppl call "treason". Remind u of any1? Wat about joan of arc? She was a cut haired warrior!

For u to say u dont consider mona's to be shaheed, obviously means ur braver than any of the cut hair martyrs of the past, irrespective of their religion/campaigns.

Nowadays if anyfink, quite a lot of amritdharis have become fat overweight slobs, n mona's have become more ankhi. The reverse needs to happen, sharpish!!

Why are we always quick to label someone as a shaheed? If someone gets killed theses days they automatically made into a shaheed. Shaheed comes from the arabic word to denote a matyre. Someone who dies in defence of a religion or dies while fighting a cause.

These days if someone goes out to do some shopping and gets hit by a bullet and dies, instantly becomes a shaheed.

I agree 100%, shaheed title is chucked around way too much. Martyrs definition is one who gives his/her life for their beliefs/religion/campaigns.

[KhoonKaBadlaKhoon]

I feel the same way. A true shaheed is the one who knows they are going to die and their jeevan is of a high gursikh. I won't call a Mona a shaheed.

Quite a few monay gave their lives during the Sangarsh, and did more for Sikhi than you, me, or anyone else here. Keeping your kes gives you no right to take away the shaheedi status from them.

I wouldn't consider Bhai Jagjeet Singh a shaheed though, he wasn't even part of the protest, but had be been, it'd be a different story.

[Balkaar]

How can a mona be shaheed in our religion when he can't even listen to our Sri Guru jis and be keshdari.. Think about that for a moment.

You are a fascinating study Preeet. I've never encountered anyone who can have such fanatically militant views on Sikhi and still shamelessly peddle Bahmanwaad.