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| Sikh practices anddiscipline |
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| Sikh scriptures |
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| Guru Granth Sahib |
| Dasam Granth |
| Sarbloh Granth |
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Nitnem (Punjabi:ਨਿਤਨੇਮ,lit. 'daily routine') is a collection ofSikh hymns (Gurbani) to be read minimally 3 different times of the day. These are mandatory and to be read by everyAmritdhari Sikh[1] as expressed in theSikh Rehat Maryada.[2] Optionally additional prayers may be added to a Sikh'snitnem. There are fivehymns(Five Banis) to be done duringAmrit Vela (early morning),[1] theRehras Sahib hymn for the evening andKirtan Sohila for the night. The morning and evening prayers should be followed by anArdaas.[3][4]
The initiated Sikh is asked by thePanj Piare during theAmrit Sanchar ceremony to recite the followingfive banis (Punjabi:ਪੰਜ ਬਾਣੀਆਂ,romanized: paja bāṇī'āṁ) as a commitment to theSikh Gurus andWaheguru. Thebanis are also recited daily, starting in the early morning (Amrit Vela). Through time, the "five banis" has come to mean different things to different groups of Sikhs.
As per theSikh Code of Conduct, Sikhs are only required to reciteJapji Sahib,Jaap Sahib, & theTen Sawayyas in the morning.[5][6] Many Sikhs, including those who follow the lifestyle of the Damdami Taksal & AKJ, believe thatChaupai Sahib &Anand Sahib are also required in the morning prayers. Sometimes this is referred to as the Five Banis. These prayers are recited between 2 - 6 AM. These morning prayers are required to be followed by theArdas.[7][8]
Five Banis can also refer toJapji Sahib,Jaap Sahib, & theTen Sawayyas in the morning, along withRehras Sahib andKirtan Sohila in the evening, which are the five minimum prayers to be recited daily by any amritdhariKhalsaSikh, as per theSikh Code of Conduct.[9][10]
This prayer is recited after sunset and takes about 8–12 minutes to recite. This evening prayer is required to be followed by theArdas.[11][12][13][14]
Some Sikh schools of thought also recite Rakhiya De Shabad before Kirtan Sohila. This prayer is recited before going to bed and takes about 5–12 minutes to recite. This night prayer is not required to be followed by theArdas.[11][15][16][17]
Nitnem is typically read from agutka (Sikh Prayer book) orpothi (wider rectangular book), of which the main forms are thePanj Granthi (5 main scriptures from Guru Granth Sahib) and theDas Granthi (main scriptures from Dasam Granth). The Sundar Gutka (A larger gutka containing a mix of many compositions, lit. Beautiful Gutka) is also common in Sikh households.
Other prayers commonly read are:
