Yes. Sikhs are allowed to remarry after the death of a spouse. There is no prohibition against widow remarriage in Sikhism.
The Sikhism code of conduct, a document titled Sikh Reht Maryada (SRM) advises that following the death of a spouse, the widowed Sikh, whether man or woman, may remarry provided a "suitable match" is made, inferring that the prospective bride or groom also be Sikh. The wedding ceremony for remarriage is conducted according to Anand Karaj matrimonial rites.
In ancient, predominantly Hindu, India during a time when child marriage was common, a widow regardless of her age was encouraged to follow the custom of sati (suttee) and immolate herself on her husband's funeral pyre. A widow without a grown son to support her would have been considered a burden to her surviving in-laws or parents. No dowry would have been available for a woman who had already been married. Without a dowry, it would have been unlikely that she would be accepted into another family. The widow would have been left with little option other than starvation or sati.
The Sikh guru's condemned the practice of sati.
- Guru Nanak wrote extolling the praise of the woman as the mother of kings and life long companion of every man.
- Guru Amar Das addressed the subject of sati directly:
Satee-aa aehe na aakheean jo marriaa lag jalanneh ||
Sati is not she who immolates herself with her husband's corpse.
Nanak sateeaa jaaneeanhe je birae chtt marnneh||
Nanak, sati is she who dies from sheer shock of separation. SGGS||787
- Guru Arjun Dev himself a widower, eventually remarried and also wrote on the subject of sati:
Kahu naanak jin prio parmaesar kar jaaniaa ||
Says Nanak, She who looks upon the Supreme as her Lord spouse,
Dhann satee dargeh parvaaniaa ||
Blessed is that Sati, she is received with in her Lord's court with honor. SGGS||185
