It is enough honor for this Name that it appears in the greatest verse of the Qur’an, Ayat al-Kursi.

And at the opening of that verse, Allah calls Himself: Al-Ḥayy: “The Ever-Living”

In Arabic, ḥayy comes from the root meaning “to be alive.” Allah is the Living, the Ever-Living, the One who never dies. In the Qur’an, when Allah names Himself Al-Ḥayy, He often pairs it with al-Qayyūm, the One who sustains all things.

You might think: “Of course Allah never dies, isn’t that obvious?”

But there was a day when even the companions of the Prophet ﷺ needed to be reminded. It was the day the Prophet ﷺ passed away. Confusion and grief swept over Madinah.

Then Abu Bakr (RA) recited: “Muḥammad is no more than a Messenger; Messengers have passed on before him. And Allah is Ever-Living, He never dies.”

Those words brought the ummah back to its senses.

In our world, life is tied to action and movement. We know someone is alive when their heart beats, when they breathe, when they act. Death is stillness. But Allah’s life is unlike any other. He is Al-Ḥayy, and His life is perfect, without pause, without end.

As the Qur’an says: “Everyone in the heavens and the earth asks Him; every day He is bringing about a matter.”

Every moment, He is creating, sustaining, guiding, providing, and forgiving. We see a spark touch wood and a fire start, and we think: “The spark caused the fire.” But the One truly causing the fire is Allah, actively willing it into existence at that very moment.

We see an apple fall and think “gravity”. But that law only operates because Allah sustains it; there is no “lifeless force” independent of Him. Allah’s life is not passive; it is an unending, perfect activity that touches every atom in the universe.

Always Listening, Always There.

Humans can be loving, generous, and helpful, but they sleep. They disappear. They have needs of their own. They are unreliable simply because they are limited.

Allah, Al-Ḥayy, is never absent.

He is always listening, always watching, always aware, even when the whole world sleeps.

That is why, when Allah describes Himself as Al-Ḥayy, He invites us to place our trust in Him:

“Rely upon the Ever-Living who never dies.”

Think of the comfort you feel when you find a store or service that is open 24/7 — you know you can depend on it any time.

Now imagine the One who is not just “always open,” but always listening, always responding, always active in your life.

That is Al-Ḥayy.