{"id":321,"date":"2022-11-05T12:01:35","date_gmt":"2022-11-05T12:01:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithinspires.org\/?p=321"},"modified":"2022-12-06T10:08:27","modified_gmt":"2022-12-06T10:08:27","slug":"do-sikhs-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithinspires.org\/do-sikhs-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Sikhs Fast?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With over 26 million Sikhs worldwide, you should lend an ear to Sikhism\u2019s religious customs as it skyrockets in popularity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since fasting is common in other religions, you may wonder if Sikhs adhere to a similar diet during special occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sikhs believe that the human body is a home for the eternal soul. As a gift from God, it must be treated with the respect and care that fasting cannot offer Sikhs. Therefore, Sikhs usually do not fast for religious reasons, but may for unrelated purposes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the remainder of this article, you\u2019ll learn more about why Sikhs typically reject fasting as a God-respecting ritual and why some Sikhs may still fast despite general opposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Many Sikhs Don\u2019t Fast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sikhism is a religion centered around their undying love for God\u2019s creation, including our human bodies. It ensures that physical care is an important aspect of daily life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than fast and rob their body of nutrients, Sikhs take care of their bodies as a passionate display of loyalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fasting violates the reverent relationship Sikhs have built with their bodies and God. Fasting indicates voluntary abstinence from food and robs humans of the essential supplements they need to care for their bodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the physical body is thought to be the temple<\/span> of the soul, Sikhs love and nourish it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, Sikhs don\u2019t fast like other religions because they prefer to follow other dietary guidelines to pay respect to God and His creations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of fasting, Shikhs say food and beverage regulations intimately connect them to God, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While meat may be off-limits in other religions, it\u2019ll certainly be on the dinner table if you attend a traditional Sikh dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than fast to show discipline, Sikhs strictly follow the Jhatka<\/span> method of animal slaughter that ensures a quick, moral death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meat is permissible to eat because of Sikhs\u2019 symbiotic relationship with nature that nourishes the body in ways fasting can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intoxicants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While fasting is typically done to keep the body pure and connected to God, Sikhs accomplish this by rejecting alcohol, cannabis, or any other intoxicants<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s outlawed in Sikh culture because they do serious damage to the brain, heart, and liver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our organs are gifts from God that deserve the best treatment, and this includes only putting what\u2019s healthy in our bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Reasons Behind Rare Sikh Fasting <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of Sikhism\u2019s official stance on fasting, you may meet some Sikhs who still fast and say Sikhism is the driving force behind it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that Sikhism hasn\u2019t adopted ritualistic fasting into their culture, so a Sikh\u2019s decision to fast is unrelated to the ideology.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are the top reasons Sikhs may fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n