Sahajdhari sikhs or a Sikh Deist (literally "slow adopter") is a person who has chosen the path of Sikhism, but has not yet become an Amritdhari (an initiated Sikh initiated into the Khalsa). A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, but may or may not adorn the five symbols of the Sikh faith. This is not to be confused with the term Mona Sikhs or Mona Sardars, that is Sikhs who are of Keshdhari ancestry, but choose to cut their hair, under certain circumstances, especially towards Western culture and fashions.
According to the Indian Government's Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act (1971) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the word Sahajdhari refers to a person born into a non-Sikh family: a person born in a Sikh family or a baptized Sikh cannot claim to be a Sahajdhari Sikh by giving up the five articles of faith (such as trimming hair).
Sahajdhari Sikhs plan to get baptized sometime in their lives, and usually raise their children as full Sikhs, although many of them choose not to. The tribes that are mainly Sahajdharis include the Aroras, whereas the Keshdharis mainly belong to the Khatri tribes, who formed the majority of the Sikh population. The vast majority of non-Muslim Sindhis are Sahajdhari Sikhs. Sahajdharis are essentially a non-monastic version of a monastic Sikh group called, the Udasis, who are also members of the Arora tribe. Udasis are Sahajdharis who choose their paths to live their lives as monks.
Sahajdhari is a compound of two words sahaj and dhari. In Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages, the words Sahaj means: spiritual state of equilibrium and dhari means "adopter".
A sahajdhari believes in all the of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus but has not put all of them into practice.