NITNAYM (Nitnem)
Nitnaym (nitnem) literally: daily routine.
According to the Rahitmaryada (Code of Condust) of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Nitnaym means recitation of five ‘Baanis’ (verses) to be read by a Sikh every day. It included Japji, Jaap, Swayyay, Rahiraas and Sohila (wrongly called Keertan Sohila). The first three (Japji, Jaap, Swayyay,) are to be read early in the morning, the fourth (Rahiraas) after sunset, and last one (Sohila) before retiring to bed.
This Nitnaym could not have been prescribed by Guru Gobind Singh; and this seems to have been started by the Nirmala priests (Surat Singh and Sant Singh Giani) of Darbar Sahib during 1830s, because more than two of these five ‘baanis’ (Jaap and Swayyay, plus Chaupai and other saloks as part of Rahiraas) are from Bachitar Naatak (now known as dasamgranth) which did not exist at the time of Guru Gobind Singh.
Secondly, mere recitation of any verse (hymn) is against Sikh philosophy because it is ‘karam kaand’ (ritualism). The Gurus rejected all ritualism as hypocrisy, how could any Guru have prescribed an activity which was against his own teachings.
It seems that this might have been started by Nirmala priests in league with the Mishra and Dogra ministers of Mahraja Ranjit Singh (who held the charge of the city of Amritsar) with a view to introduce ritualism in the Sikh religion; or at the time of British rule who might have planned the Sikhs to turn from militancy to (so called) meditation and other rituals.
It does not mean that a Sikhs should not read ‘Gurbaani’; rather a Sikh must read ‘Gurbaani’, understand it and try to live according its teachings; hence if a Sikh reads just one stanza from Guru Granth Sahib and adopts it as his code of conduct that is genuine reading of Gurbaani.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)