Name 62 of 99
الْحَيُّ
Al-Hayy – The Ever-Living
- Transliteration
- Al-Hayy
- Meaning
- The Ever-Living
- Arabic root
- ح ي ي
- Theme
- Oneness and eternity
Meaning of Al-Hayy
Al-Hayy is the One whose life is perfect, without beginning or end, never touched by sleep, weakness or death. All other life is given by Him and depends on Him. Ayat al-Kursi begins its description of Allah with Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum.
Al-Hayy in the Quran
Al-Hayy appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْحَىِّ ٱلَّذِى لَا يَمُوتُ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِۦ ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِۦ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًا
And trust thou in the Living One Who dieth not, and hymn His praise. He sufficeth as the Knower of His bondmen's sins,
Reflection
Relying on the Ever-Living, who never dies, is wiser than relying on anyone who will.
Related names: oneness and eternity
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Hayy mean?
Al-Hayy (الْحَيُّ) means "The Ever-Living". Al-Hayy is the One whose life is perfect, without beginning or end, never touched by sleep, weakness or death. All other life is given by Him and depends on Him. Ayat al-Kursi begins its description of Allah with Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum.
Is Al-Hayy mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Hayy is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 and Surah Al-Furqan 25:58.
The list of 99 names follows the order of the narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507, without the name “Allah”, and adds Al-Ahad from Sunan Ibn Majah 3861. The hadith that Allah has ninety-nine names is in Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and Sahih Muslim 2677. Quran text: Tanzil (Uthmani); translation: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930, public domain).