B1noun
نِيَّةٌ
niyyah
intention / purpose
Example
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ
wa-mā umirū illā liyaʿbudū Allāha mukhlisīna lahu ad-dīn
And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, sincere to Him in religion (98:5)
Grammar
Feminine noun. From نَوَى (to intend). Plural: نِيَّاتٌ (niyyāt). While the word itself appears rarely in the Quran, the concept permeates Islamic law and ethics.
Culture
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Actions are but by intentions' (innamā al-aʿmālu bin-niyyāt) — perhaps the most quoted hadith, making niyyah the foundation of all deeds.