The Holy Names Of Allah (Al-Qayyum: The Self-Existing One)

The esma of Qayyum is the esma, the self-existing one, that keeps everything in its place and animated and on its feet. The esma of Qayyum that comes from the root of qayim, is the esma that brings everything to life.

Earlier we had spoken of the esma of Hayy, and now we are going to speak on the attribute of Qayyum. These two attributes are one whole that is not divisible. This week I'm going to speak on the attribute of Qayyum. This is an attribute of the most important ones of the creator Allah. The one that holds everything that It has created in its place, and makes them live, and animates them, is the attribute of Qayyum. If we look around us, we will see how this attribute works. It is a very lively attribute. Look at the universes that Allah has created. There are many planets in space, many stars. There is the planet that is called earth. Everything is working in its place, correctly. None of them become confused about their place, and they are all standing, and this shows the attribute of Qayyum. When we do it, we will see this attribute. When we look at ourselves, Allah created us, gave us a spirit (in today's terminology we call this 'energy'); this made us alive, and the attribute of Qayyum is keeping this standing. For example, in the human body there are thousands of cells that are dying and coming to life, and their dying and being resurrected again is the attribute of Qayyum. He brings them to life with the attribute of Qayyum, with the attribute of Hayy gives them life, and because the two work together, the attributes of Hayy and Qayyum are known as the ismi-azam, the great names, in the Koran. It is a very important name, and when people are in problems, if they do the tesbih, the repetition of the Hayy and Qayyum esmas, then they will come to the opening of this ismi-azam, this great name. They will find life, and they will find aliveness. 

One of the beauties of the attribute of Qayyum, without changing anything, is holding everything in its own attribute. It seems to be changing, but its essence doesn't, it is only the views of the attributes that are changing. Let me give an example. There are coins, and let us say this one coin is worth $1000. You remove this money, and you put paper money in its stead. Its essence is still there, but its appearance has changed. That paper money has become qayim, standing in the place of, that coin; it is holding it in its place, without changing its essence. And we, people, are also like this. Without corrupting our essence, we will live in different dimensions, and this is the manifestation of the esma of Qayyum. We are standing in our own essence; what changes are the appearances. And this world is the same. The planets are the same. Everything that works in the universe, works with the manifestation of the attributes of Hayy and Qayyum.

There are more expanding explanations, and these cannot be opened up in a short period. We would need much time and much experience, for a person to be able to understand these attributes with their own feelings. Whenever you can feel these existences, then a person will be able to understand these attributes better, because these attributes that show the existence of Allah, can only be explained so far through ilim, through knowledge. Only through living and gaining experience, and seeing this within your own inner being - then you will be able to understand this better. And these 99 attributes are like this. If you listen to the tapes of these esmas of Hayy and Qayyum you will understand better. One of the meanings of the esma of Qayyum is to stand: You will be sleeping, they will wake you up - and one of the meanings of waking up is to stand. And one of the meanings of the attribute of Qayyum, is coming from the same word, qiyamet, resurrection. What is qiyamet? Is is the people lighting up, and this is also from the attribute of Qayyum. This lighting up amoung people can happen with beauty and goodness and it can happen with badness, and this is called qiyamet, the resurrection. Again, this is inside of the attribute of Qayyum.

The essence doesn't change; the essence is the human being. It is the appearance of the characters that can change. That's why we have to understand the attributes of Hayy and Qayyum very well, so a person can know how and where to live. This world is finite; what is infinite is Allah. He is always Hayy and Qayyum. He is self-existent. His own being is always living, and as long as He is, humanity also will be. The attributes that change here are the characters, the attribute of Allah doesn't change: He will let those 99 attributes work; these attributes will change the characteristics that you have. That is why we are emphasizing these 99 attributes so much; they are necessary for all of us. All of us have to look into this mirror and straighten our characters accordingly. The most beautiful mirror is the mirror of these 99 esmas, and these have been taught to us by the prophet and the saints, the evliya. As we follow their path our experience will increase, and with our own feelings we will be able to understand these esmas. Hayyum-Qayyum is ismi-azam, a great name, so let us not forget this. Whenever you are stressed, whenever you are under pressure, let us recite this a lot, and we will push the stress off of us, and then we will be with the Being within His Being.