SAHIB
Sahib is a Persian word. It has several shades of meaning: God, King, Master, Husband.
Nowadays, the term Sahib is being frequently used without bothering for the meaning and the significance of the term. The present usage began with the British rule over the Indian sub-continent. The sycophant mentality of the Indians gave birth to the usage of this term to flatter the British officers and they used to address every British official (senior or junior) as SAHIB. Later, this term became popular with the rulers of the princely States too.
According to Sikhis, God alone is the Master (Sahib); hence, in Sikhism, this word is used only for God and Guru Sahibs (the Ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib).
True is the Master; true is His Name
By the grace of Guru let us ever remember Him.
(Guru Granth Sahib, p.104)
True Master is one
None should astray his mind in doubt. (Guru Granth Sahib, p.428)
Nanak says: O elder brother!
Whom to weep for?
This world is only a gamble.
The Master looks after His creation & applies His mind to it.
(Guru Granth Sahib, p.580)
He Himself is true
True is His Throne,
While sitting on it, He delivers true justice. (Guru Granth Sahib, p.949)
For some decades, many Sikhs have started using SAHIB with the names of the Gurdwaras, the villages and towns associated with the Gurus, the Sikh articles and many other things. Now the dera people too have begun using sahib as suffix of the villages belonging to their founder. It is against Sikh ideology. Respect for a senior or an elder one can be expressed by adding ‘Ji’ as suffix to his/her name e.g. instead of ‘Dilgeer Sahib’, the proper address will be ‘Dilgeer Ji’
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)