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الْحَيُّ

Al-Hayy (الحي): Meaning of Allah’s Name

Name 63 of 995 verses of the Quran

Al-Hayy: The Everliving

Recitation: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary · 24 voices to choose from

Explanation of the name Al-Hayy

The One Who has perfect life, existing in and of Himself and not dependant upon anyone else. The Sustainer of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, the One Who regulates their affairs and provisions. The Living includes all of the Attributes of His Self and The Sustainer includes all the Attributes of His Actions.

"Allaah! There is no deity worthy of worship but Him, the Living, the Sustaining." (3:1)

"All faces shall be humbled before (Allaah), the Living, the Sustaining. And the one who carried the burden of wrong-doing shall be in complete loss!" (20:111)

— ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sa‘di · Explanation shared with: Al-Qayyum

God, the Exalted, said: “And put your trust (O Muhammad) in the Ever-Living One Who dies not”. (Al Furqan: 58).

God, the Exalted is the Ever-Living: He has eternal and perfect life, as It is perfect life in Its Existence, perfect in Its Time, for He is Alive, without a beginning and without an and. His Life was not preceded by nothingness and will not be followed by demise, will not suffer from decline or from cessation. His Life is so perfect that He is not affected by: somnolence or sleep, or weakness, or distraction or inattention, or forgetfulness. It is so complete that He has complete ability, effective and enforceable will and desire, in all times.

The Grandeur of Al-Hayy

This Sublime Name combines all self characteristics as It is the origin of Them such as: Awareness, Hearing, Seeing, Self-Esteem, Ability, Will, Desire, Greatness and all other Attributes of perfection.

— Maher bin Moqaddam

The name in the Quran

This name occurs in 5 verses of 5 surahs.

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ۝٢٥٥

Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.

Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 255

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۝٢

Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One Who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him.

Surah Ali ’Imran, Verse 2

وَعَنَتِ ٱلْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ ٱلْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا ۝١١١

And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. And he will have failed who carries injustice.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

The faces of the servants will humble and surrender before the Eternal One who does not die and who takes care of the affairs of His servants by managing and administering them. And the one Who carried sin has lost, due to his taking himself to places of destruction.

Surah Taha, Verse 111

وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱلْحَىِّ ٱلَّذِى لَا يَمُوتُ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِۦ وَكَفَىٰ بِهِۦ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًا ۝٥٨

And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and exalt [Allāh] with His praise. And sufficient is He to be, with the sins of His servants, [fully] Aware -

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

Put your trust - O Messenger - in all of your affairs in Allah, the Living and Everlasting who never dies, declare His purity and celebrate His praise, may He be glorified. He knows the sins of His servants well enough. Nothing of that is hidden from Him and He will recompense them for the same.

Surah Al-Furqan, Verse 58

Other verse

The name in the hadiths

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Riyad as-Salihin 75

O Allah, to You I have submitted, and in You I have believed, in You I have put my trust, to You I have turned in repentance, and for You I have argued. O Allah, I seek refuge with Your power, there is no god but You, that You lead me astray. You are the Ever Living, the One who never dies, whereas the human beings and jinn will all die

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "O Allah, to You I have submitted, and in You I have believed, in You I have put my trust, to You I have turned in repentance, and for You I have argued. O Allah, I…

"‏اللهم لك أسلمت وبك آمنت، وعليك توكلت، وإليك أنبت ، وبك خاصمت‏.‏ اللهم أعوذ بعزتك، لا إله إلا أنت أن تضلني، أنت الحي الذي لا تموت، والجن والإنس يموتون‏"

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās + 4 other versions Explained

Good (hasan) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3524

“Whenever a matter would distress him, the Prophet (ﷺ) would say: ‘O Living, O Self-Sustaining Sustainer! In Your Mercy do I seek relief (Yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, bi-raḥmatika astaghīth).’” And with this chain, that he said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Be constant with: “O Possessor of Majesty…

يَا حَىُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ ‏"

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 1 other version

Supplications with this name

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 10 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ