Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam, I have been recently reading about the Seik religion and it is very similar to Islam. Seiks believe in the Quran and the prophet (PBU), so does this make them apart or sect. of Islam. The theory of their religion is the same as Islams. Also in the Quran it says that the believing man can marry a Christian or Jew but does this actually mean any person who believes in God as Muslims do. I want to marry a Seik girl who I love very much and don't want to see go astray. I have faith in her and in God that she will eventually see Islam as the true religion and change religions. We have agreed that our children will be Muslims so will this marriage be ok. Seiks are much more like muslims then Christians so I don't understand why this would be a problem.

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Answer:

Is Sikhism similar to Islam?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved brother, it is not entirely true that the Sikh religion believes in Allah Alone as their Lord, and the Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Final Messenger of Allah, or the Quran as the Last Book of Guidance from Allah Subhanah! The Sikhs claim to respect Allah, His Messenger (saws), and the Quran; but they do not believe in them, nor follow their commands in their lives.

The Sikh movement is an off-shoot of Hinduism formulated by their founder Guru Nanak. They have their own list of religious leaders or ‘Gurus’, and have their own religious book which they recite and follow: Guru Granth Sahib.

The Jews and the Christians on the other hand are recipients of the previous Divine Guidance of Allah Subhanah, and believe in all the prior Messengers and Revelations of Allah. Since in their original and purest form, Jewism and Christianity are monotheistic, Abrahamic religions; Allah Subhanah has conferred special status on them in regards to the other man-made pagan religions and allowed the believers to eat their slaughter, and marry chaste women amongst the People of the Book.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 5:Likewise you are permitted to marry believing chaste women, and chaste women from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), provided that you give them their due ‘mahr’ and desire chastity, not lewdness, nor sected intrigues.

The only way the marriage of a believer with a Sikh woman be legal and valid in Shariah, is if the woman would accept Islam.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 221 (part):Do not marry ‘mushrik’ women unless they believe.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan