SOHILA
Literally: the praise.
Sohila is a collection of five hymns written by three Gurus. Its first three stanzas have been composed by Guru Nanak, the fourth by Guru Ram Das and the fifth by Guru Arjan.
According to Rahitmaryaada (Code of Conduct) of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, it is one of the five verses of Nitnaym (daily Sikh prayer); and, according to this code of conduct, it is to be recited just before retiring to bed. It is also recited at the time of funeral ceremony.
The main theme of the hymns is Sohila, the praise of the Might of God, whom one must always remember (keep in one’s mind).
Sohila as the title of the ‘collection of five stanzas’ does not appear in Guru Granth Sahib. The word Sohila appears in the second line of the first hymn but it is not certain that it is the basis of the heading of the Baani. Sohila is wrongly called ‘Keertan Sohila’.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)