Islam > 99 names of allah > The Self-Subsisting
Updated on 13 August 2026 at 4:39 AM
📖 1 min readThe Self-Subsisting is one of the 99 beautiful names of Allah. Its meaning: The One who subsists by Himself and by whom all things subsist.
To pronounce the name The Self-Subsisting in Arabic, we say: Al-Qayyum.
It is written in Arabic: القيوم.
From the Arabic root ق-و-م (q-w-m, standing and sustaining), قَيُّوم (qayyum) follows فَيْعُول, denoting the self-subsisting sustainer of all.
The Name “The Self-Subsisting” means: The One who subsists by Himself and by whom all things subsist. It affirms a perfection belonging to Allah without defect, limit, or resemblance to creation. In al-Ghazali’s perspective, the believer never claims to share the divine attribute in its reality; instead, the Name gives an orientation suited to the condition of a servant.
Meditating on this Name calls the believer to purify worship, acknowledge complete dependence, and seek Allah alone as the ultimate end. Knowledge of the Name thereby becomes worship, refinement of character, and trust in Allah alone.