My story

🤍 Why did I create NIYA?

There was a time in my life when I was at my wit's end.
Not just tired, but on the edge of the abyss.
Newly married, still full of hope,
I quickly found myself facing reality.
I was doing a series of low-paying, dead-end jobs.
I was running from mission to mission,
accepting whatever they were willing to give me,
far from what I was worth,
far from what I dreamed of.

My husband, on the other hand, was taking on a series of weekly contracts.
without even knowing if the following month,
We could pay the rent.
We lived in a state of constant instability.
Each day was a new challenge.
Providing for our son had become a daily battle.
I was a helpless mother, a withdrawn woman,
but with a single promise anchored deep in the heart:
I will never remove my hijab.
Even when everything was pushing me to do it.
Even in moments when faith seemed to fade
Because he was my bond, my silent oath.
My last refuge, when I had nothing left to defend but my dignity.

Those were dark years.

I was offered positions, contracts,
security… which I had always refused.
Then one day — a day when my faith was at its lowest,
a day when I had lost all hope —
what I had so hoped for
It finally seemed to be there, placed in front of me.
A job very close to home,
financial security,
a suitable time...

But when it came time to sign,
The person in front of me leaned forward and said:
"There's an error. You will be required to remove it."

I took the pen.
I placed the point on the contract.
My heart was leaping out of my chest.
My hands were trembling.
I didn't know if it was joy
to finally free myself from a financial burden,
or the fear of imprisoning myself in what I am not.

Then I put it back down.
Gently.
Because I thought of God .
To all that He had given me in the unseen realm,
when nothing kept me going except Him .

And I said no.
No to this world that demanded I submit.
No to the idea that one must disappear in order to exist.
I couldn't betray the One who supported me
when no one could see me anymore.

This renunciation was my impetus.
I didn't know that yet.
But that was the final test.
And when I crossed it,
I woke up with renewed strength.
A light that nothing could extinguish.
I had a visceral desire for freedom,
the real one
the one we experience while remaining veiled,
while remaining whole,
without revealing himself,
without breaking.

But this ordeal rekindled a flame within me.
She gave me the strength to start all over again.
I resumed my training, I went back to school,
Not to please, but to exist fully.
in my own way.

I created my first company to support those who are suffering.
Because I have known pain,
loneliness,
Abandonment.
But a piece was missing.
The one from my veil.
The one I refused to erase in order to fit in.

So I created Niya .

Niya is not just a brand.
It's a profound reminder, an inner light.
Niya means intention in Arabic —
this secret intention, the purest, the most sincere,
that which only Allah knows.
She who guides every step, every breath, every battle.

Because Allah sees everything, even what we do in the dark,
even silent battles,
even the sacrifices that no one applauds.

Because you can be veiled, dignified, strong, beautiful,
and remain true to your heart.
to this niya that makes you invincible,
that which makes your faith a strength,
and of your will, an indestructible shield.

Najwa