Al-Qayyum
الْقَيُّوم
The Self-Sustaining
What it means
Al-Qayyūm is the one who stands by Himself and by whom every other thing stands. Al-Ḥayy Al-Qayyūm together — the pair recited in Ayat al-Kursī — describes life and self-subsistence united in the divine essence.
Qur'anic evidence
This name appears explicitly in the following ayahs:
Sources for this entry
The Arabic name and its enumeration follow the traditional list in Sunan al-Tirmidhī (§3507). The concise explanation reflects the consensus classical understanding taught in Al-Ghazālī's Al-Maqṣad al-Asnā and Ibn Kathīr's tafsīr. Qur'anic references are locations where the name appears in the Mushaf.
Contemplate Al-Qayyum with SABR
Learning the names of Allah alongside memorising His words is one of the highest forms of study. SABR pairs one name per day with your memorisation session.