Niyat (Niyyah) Meaning: Intention in Islam

What does niyat mean?

Niyat means intention. The Arabic word is نية (niyyah). Niyat is how the word is said in Urdu, Bengali and Persian. In Turkish it is niyet, and in Malay and Indonesian it is niat.

The word comes from the Arabic verb nawa, to intend. The hadith below uses the same verb: every person will have “what he has intended” (ma nawa).

“Actions are by intentions”

This is one of the best-known hadiths. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said that he heard the Prophet ﷺ say:

The hadith gives an example. Two people can make the same journey, the hijrah. One goes for Allah and His Messenger. The other goes for worldly gain or to marry a woman. Each one gets what he went for. The act looks the same. The intention decides what it is worth.

Is the niyat in the heart or on the tongue?

The niyat is in the heart. Scholars agree on this. If your heart means to pray Asr, you have made the niyat, even if you say nothing.

Scholars differ on also saying it quietly. Many later Shafi’i and Hanbali scholars, and some Hanafi scholars, say it is good to say it quietly to help the heart focus. The Maliki school says it is better not to say it. Others, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, say it should not be done, because the Prophet ﷺ did not do it. None of the four schools makes saying it a condition. If you are unsure, ask a local scholar.

Niyat for the five daily prayers

For each prayer, the niyat is to know which prayer you are about to pray (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib or Isha) and to pray it for Allah. Make it in your heart as you begin, with the first Allahu akbar.

In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan many people learn a set sentence for each prayer, in Arabic, Bengali or Urdu. Many start with “nawaytu an usalliya…” (“I intend to pray…”). These sentences are not narrated from the Prophet ﷺ. You do not need to learn them. The intention in your heart is enough.

Niyat for roza (fasting)

The niyat for roza is to plan in your heart to fast tomorrow for Allah. Most scholars say to make it at night, before Fajr, for each Ramadan fast. The Hanafi school allows it until before midday. The Maliki school says one niyat at the start of Ramadan covers the whole month.

The sentence many people learn, “wa bisawmi ghadin nawaytu min shahri Ramadan” (“I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan”), is not from any hadith. Many scholars say that eating suhoor in order to fast already counts as the niyat. See the duas for each moment of Ramadan.

Niyat, the app

Niyat is also the name of an app made by the team behind this site. It helps you pray on time, read the Qur’an and keep your duas each day.

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