The short answer
Sikhs believe in one God because this is the first and central teaching of Gurbani: Ik Onkar, One Creator of all. For Sikhs, this belief is not an abstract idea but a way of seeing — if one Creator made and lives within everyone, then all people are family, there is nothing else to fear or worship, and the whole of life can be lived in trust.
In detail
The belief in one God is the foundation of Sikhi. It is written at the very beginning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the Mool Mantar, and it runs through every page that follows. The Gurus taught that there is one Creator, beyond form and time, who is also present within everything that exists. Sikhs do not see this One as belonging to any single religion; the Creator of all cannot be owned by some.
Why does this matter? First, because it shapes how Sikhs see people. Gurbani says there is one Father and we are all children of that One. If that is true, then caste, race and status cannot divide human beings in any ultimate sense. The Sikh commitment to equality flows directly from the belief in one God.
Second, it shapes how Sikhs see fear and worship. The Gurus lived at a time when many people were frightened of countless spirits, omens and powers, and spent their lives trying to please them. Gurbani frees the mind from this: there is only one True Master, without fear and without enmity, and it is that One alone whom a Sikh remembers and bows to. This is why Sikhi rejects idol worship and superstition.
Third, it shapes how Sikhs see life's events. If everything happens within the One's order, then even hardship is not the work of a rival evil power. This does not mean passivity — Sikhs are asked to act with courage and justice — but it does mean a deep trust at the centre of life. The Sikh understanding of God is also relational. The One is described as Creator, Beloved, Friend, Father and Mother, Master and Giver. The aim is not simply to believe that God exists, but to come to know and love that One through Naam and Gurbani.
What Gurbani says
ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Ik Oankaar Sat Naam Kartaa Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair Akaal Moorat Ajoonee Saibhan Gur Prasaad.
There is One — the single reality behind everything. Its identity is Truth. It is the Creator, present in what it creates; without fear and without enmity; beyond time; never born; self-existent. It is realised through the Guru's grace.
ਇੱਕ ਹੀ ਹੈ — ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਇੱਕੋ ਅਸਲੀਅਤ। ਉਸ ਦੀ ਪਛਾਣ ਸੱਚ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਕਰਤਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪਣੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ; ਡਰ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ ਅਤੇ ਵੈਰ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ; ਸਮੇਂ ਤੋਂ ਪਰੇ; ਕਦੇ ਜਨਮ ਨਹੀਂ ਲੈਂਦਾ; ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਤੋਂ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ ਅਨੁਭਵ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ।
Gurbani opens by declaring the One Creator and describing the qualities of the One.
ਏਕੁ ਪਿਤਾ ਏਕਸ ਕੇ ਹਮ ਬਾਰਿਕ ਤੂ ਮੇਰਾ ਗੁਰ ਹਾਈ ॥
Ek pitaa ekas ke ham baarik too meraa gur haaee.
There is one Father, and we are all children of that One. You are my Guru.
ਪਿਤਾ ਇੱਕ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਸਾਰੇ ਉਸ ਇੱਕ ਦੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਹਾਂ। ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈਂ।
There is one Father, and all are children of that One — the social meaning of believing in one God.
ਗੁਰਾ ਇਕ ਦੇਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ ਸਭਨਾ ਜੀਆ ਕਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੫॥
Guraa ik dehi bujhaaee. Sabhnaa jeeaa kaa ik daataa so mai visar na jaaee.
O Guru, give me this one understanding: there is one Giver of all living beings — may I never forget that One.
ਹੇ ਗੁਰੂ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਇੱਕ ਸਮਝ ਬਖ਼ਸ਼ੋ: ਸਾਰੇ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਦਾਤਾ ਇੱਕੋ ਹੈ — ਮੈਂ ਉਸ ਇੱਕ ਨੂੰ ਕਦੇ ਨਾ ਭੁੱਲਾਂ।
There is one Giver of all beings; the prayer is never to forget that One.
What it means
The Mool Mantar states the belief; the other two lines show why it matters in daily life. If there is one Father of all, we are all related to each other. If there is one Giver of all, gratitude and remembrance belong to that One, not to many powers or to our own cleverness. Believing in one God is therefore both a statement about the Divine and a way of relating to people and to life.
Living it today
- When you feel anxious about luck, omens or superstitions, remind yourself that there is one Creator and nothing else to fear.
- Say a short 'thank you, Waheguru' for three ordinary things each day — recognising the one Giver.
- Challenge, gently, any language in your family or community that treats some people as lesser by birth.
- Learn the first lines of the Mool Mantar with a child and talk about what each quality means.
A real-life example
The broken mirror
When a mirror cracked at a family wedding, some relatives began to worry aloud that it was a bad omen for the couple. The bride's younger brother, Karan, felt uneasy. Later he asked his grandmother whether it was true. She laughed kindly. 'Beta, we believe in one God, without fear and without enmity. A mirror has no power over what the Creator has written. What matters is how these two treat each other.' She added, 'That is freedom — not being frightened of every little thing.' Karan helped sweep up the glass, and the family moved on to the dancing.
Common misunderstandings
Sikhs believe their God is different from the God of other religions.
Sikhs believe in the One Creator of all people. Gurbani does not treat the Divine as the property of any one community.
Belief in one God means Sikhs think God is a person sitting somewhere above.
Gurbani describes the One as formless and beyond time, yet present in all creation and within every heart.
If everything is God's will, Sikhs should accept injustice.
Sikhi pairs trust in the Divine order with the duty to stand for truth and protect the vulnerable, as the Gurus themselves did.
Sources
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 611
- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 2
- Sikh Rehat Maryada, SGPC