🌱 A chance to change
An offender who faces what they did, helps to put it right and is forgiven has a real chance to change. Sikhs believe a person can turn from being a manmukh, who follows their own pride, towards God.
Sikh Beliefs about Peace and Conflict » Forgiveness and Restorative Justice in Sikhism
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 3.2 (Sikhism)
- The Sikh view of forgiveness and why it matters for peacemaking
- How a Sikh who has done wrong is forgiven by the community, and why this is needed
- What restorative justice is and why it matters for criminals
- The teaching of Farid in Guru Granth Sahib 1378:45
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Unlock This CourseForgiveness and reconciliation for Sikhs
In Peace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation you learned that forgiveness means letting go of anger towards someone who has wronged you, and that reconciliation means bringing people back into a good relationship. In Peace and Peacemaking in Sikhism you saw that Sikhs believe peace needs justice. This lesson shows where forgiveness fits in.
For Sikhs, forgiveness and reconciliation are important in peacemaking because without them, hurt turns into revenge, and revenge starts the next round of conflict. A peacemaker has to break that chain. Sikhs also believe peace must be built between people, so wrongs should be put right and relationships mended wherever possible.
The nature of forgiveness
Sikhs teach three main things about forgiveness.
🙏 God forgives
Sikhs believe that Waheguru is merciful and forgiving. People make mistakes, so Sikhs ask God for forgiveness in their prayers. A person who hopes to be forgiven by God should also be ready to forgive others.
🙂 Letting go
Anger and the wish for revenge feed haumai, the pride and self-centredness you met in Maya, Manmukh and Haumai. When a person forgives, they let go of that anger. This helps their own inner peace as well as the other person.
⚖ Not ignoring wrong
Forgiving does not mean accepting injustice. A Sikh can forgive a person and still stand up for what is right. Forgiveness is about giving up hatred, not about pretending that nothing happened.
The teaching of Farid: Guru Granth Sahib 1378:45
The spec cites Guru Granth Sahib 1378:45 for restorative justice and why it matters for criminals. It comes from the verses of Sheikh Farid, a holy man whose hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. In it, Farid teaches that a person should not strike back at those who strike them, but should respond with humility and return home in peace. Sikhs take this as a teaching on forgiveness: answering harm with anger only passes the harm on, while a calm and humble reply stops it. This breaks the cycle of harm, which is the thinking behind restorative justice (see below).
This does not mean Sikhs will never use force. You learned in Dharam Yudh: Just War and Weapons of Mass Destruction in Sikhism that force is only a last resort to protect the weak. Farid's words are about personal revenge and hatred, which Sikhs are taught to avoid.
How offenders are forgiven by the community
Sikhs live as part of the sangat, the community of believers. The spec asks how offenders are forgiven by the community and why this is needed. In outline, the process works like this:
- A Sikh who has broken the Sikh code of conduct (the Rahit Maryada) admits the fault openly in front of the sangat.
- The sangat decides on a penalty, which is often a form of service such as helping in the gurdwara kitchen or cleaning.
- The person accepts the penalty and carries it out.
- Once that is done, the person is forgiven and welcomed back into the community.
The penalty is called tankhah. It is named here only; how it works is explained in Sikh Attitudes to Punishment and Its Aims.
Why is this needed?
- It makes sure wrong is not ignored, so justice is respected.
- It lets the person start again. Sikhs believe everyone has the divine light in them, so nobody is written off for ever.
- It keeps the community together. A person who is shut out may drift away, but one who is welcomed back remains part of the sangat.
- Admitting a fault in front of others takes humility, which weakens haumai.
Restorative justice
Key terms:
- Restorative justice (recap from Punishment: Aims and Types): a way of dealing with wrongdoing that focuses on putting things right, by repairing the harm done and bringing the offender and the people they hurt back into good relationships, rather than only punishing.
- Tankhah: a penance set by the sangat for a Sikh who has broken the code of conduct.
- Sheikh Farid: a holy man whose verses are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Sikh way of dealing with a wrongdoer is restorative in nature. The aim is to change the person and mend relationships, not just to make them suffer. The spec asks why restorative justice is important for criminals. Sikhs would give these reasons, and Farid's teaching in Guru Granth Sahib 1378:45 supports them, because it prefers repairing relationships to hitting back:
🤝 Back into society
If criminals are only shut away and shunned, they may leave with anger and no support. Restorative justice helps them return to the community, which also makes the community safer.
It also helps the victim and the community, because the harm is faced and repaired. Some Sikhs add that serious crimes still need proper punishment as well, and that forgiving does not remove the need for justice.
Common mistakes
- Saying forgiveness means accepting injustice. For Sikhs it means giving up hatred while still standing up for what is right.
- Saying Sikhs never use force because of Farid's verse. Force is still a last resort to protect the weak.
- Saying a Sikh who breaks the code is thrown out for ever. The aim is to admit the fault, accept a penalty of service and be welcomed back.
- Describing restorative justice without saying why it matters. Link it to a chance to change, welcome back into the community and respect for the divine light in everyone.
Exam-style question
Paper 1 (a) [3 marks, AO1]: Identify three things that can be involved in restorative justice.
Model answer
1. The offender admitting what they did (1). 2. Repairing the harm done (1). 3. The offender being welcomed back into the community (1).
Paper 1 (b) [4 marks, AO1]: Choose one religion. Outline two Sikh teachings about forgiveness.
Model answer
Sikhs believe God is forgiving (1), so they ask God for forgiveness and should forgive others (1). Sikhs also teach that forgiving means letting go of anger and revenge (1), which feed haumai and harm inner peace (1).
Paper 1 (c) [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]: Choose one religion. Explain why forgiveness is important in this religion.
Model answer
Sikhs believe Waheguru is forgiving, so a Sikh who hopes to be forgiven should forgive others. Forgiveness also matters because anger and revenge feed haumai, which keeps a person away from God, so letting go of them helps inner peace. It is important for peacemaking too, because revenge leads to more conflict and forgiveness breaks that chain. The teaching of Farid in Guru Granth Sahib 1378:45, not to strike back at those who strike you, shows this. In the community, a Sikh who admits a fault before the sangat, accepts a penalty of service and is welcomed back shows that forgiveness lets people start again and keeps the sangat together. Sikhs do not see forgiveness as accepting injustice, as they still stand up for what is right.
Paper 1 (d) [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]: "Restorative justice is better than punishment." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion.
Plan for (d)
For: Sikhs believe everyone has the divine light, so offenders should have a chance to change; admitting a fault and serving the community weakens haumai; the offender returns to the sangat; Farid teaches that answering harm with revenge only spreads it.
Against: serious crimes may need proper punishment so justice is done and others are protected; victims may feel that repairing harm is not enough; a Sikh can forgive and still want justice; some non-religious people say punishment is needed to put people off crime.
Possible conclusion: For many offences restorative justice works better because it changes people, but "better" in every case ignores serious crime and the victim's need for justice. Judge each argument and give a clear final decision.
Exam tip
In a Sikh forgiveness answer, name the sangat and show the steps: admit the fault, accept the penalty, be welcomed back. This turns a general answer into a Sikh one.