Name 63 of 99
الْقَيُّومُ
Al-Qayyum – The Self-Subsisting, the Sustainer of all
- Transliteration
- Al-Qayyum
- Meaning
- The Self-Subsisting, the Sustainer of all
- Arabic root
- ق و م
- Theme
- Oneness and eternity
Meaning of Al-Qayyum
Al-Qayyum is the One who exists by Himself, needing nothing, while everything else exists and is sustained by Him. He maintains the heavens and earth at every moment. Some scholars considered Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum to be among the greatest of Allah's names, because so many other attributes return to them.
Al-Qayyum in the Quran
Al-Qayyum 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.
۞ وَعَنَتِ ٱلْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ ٱلْقَيُّومِ ۖ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًۭا
And faces humble themselves before the Living, the Eternal. And he who beareth (a burden of) wrongdoing is indeed a failure (on that day).
Reflection
Every moment of our existence is held up by Al-Qayyum, which is a reason for constant remembrance.
Related names: oneness and eternity
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Qayyum mean?
Al-Qayyum (الْقَيُّومُ) means "The Self-Subsisting, the Sustainer of all". Al-Qayyum is the One who exists by Himself, needing nothing, while everything else exists and is sustained by Him. He maintains the heavens and earth at every moment. Some scholars considered Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyum to be among the greatest of Allah's names, because so many other attributes return to them.
Is Al-Qayyum mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Qayyum is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 and Surah Taha 20:111.
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).