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O Originator of the worlds, You are the One God, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer, You are the One upon Whom hopes are pinned.
All existence points to Your existence, and to Your majesty we fall in prostration.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man supplicate, saying: “Allāhumma inni as’aluka bi’anna laka al-hamd la ilāha illa ant Al-Mannān Badī‘u as-samāwāti wa al-ard ya Dhal-Jalāl wa Al-Ikrām ya Hayy ya Qayyūm (O Allah, I implore You by virtue of the fact that all praise is due to You, there is no god but You, the Bestower of Favors, the Originator of the heavens and earth, the Owner of Majesty and Honor, O the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer).”
Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, he asked Allah by His greatest name, which if He is supplicated therewith, He answers the supplication, and if He is asked therewith, He gives.” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi; Sahīh (authentic)]
This is a message from our Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to everyone leading a rough life; come to your Lord, empty your heart of anything apart from Him, and supplicate Him by His names Al-Hayy and Al-Qayyūm. He will surely respond to you and give you beyond what you hope for.
To Him alone we should turn.
And only upon Him we should pin our hopes.
We pause here with one of the beautiful names of Allah, namely “Al-Qayyūm” (the All-Sustainer).
Allah Almighty says: {And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer...} [Surat Taha: 111]
Our Lord, Exalted be He, He is self-subsisting and does not rely upon anyone for His existence or for His eternity. He is self-sufficient and is in no need for anyone. {O people, it is you who stand in need of Allah; as for Allah, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.} [Surat Fātir: 15]
Our Lord, Exalted be He, sustains all creatures, whether in the heavens or the earth. None of them can remain alive without Him. They stand in need of Him from all aspects, and He does not need them in any way. Even the Throne and those angels who carry it, Allah Almighty sustains them.
Our Lord, Exalted be He, sustains the entire universe and all the creatures existing therein, in all their conditions. He preserves them, provides for them, and manages all their affairs at all times.
He also sustains His servants and records their deeds and words, the good and bad thereof, and He will recompense them accordingly on the Day of Judgment. {Is He who is a Sustainer of every soul, [knowing] what it has done, [like any other]? But to Allah they have attributed partners. Say: “Name them. Or do you inform Him of that which He knows not upon the earth or of what is apparent of speech?” Rather, their [own] plan has been made attractive to those who disbelieve, and they have been averted from the way. And whomever Allah causes to stray - there will be no guide for him.} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 33]
As part of His perfect divinity, the heavens and the earth got established and settled by His command and power, without any pillars. {Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease. And if they should cease, no one could hold them [in place] after Him. Indeed, He is All-Forbearing, All-Forgiving.} [Surat Fātir: 41]
Allah is the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer, the Lord of the worlds, the Most Merciful of those who show mercy, the Most Powerful of the powerful, the Most Wise of the wise, the One to Whom the creation and command belong and in Whose hand lie benefit and harm.
The sound natural disposition leads to Him, minds recognize Him, and all that exists points to His existence. Everything in the universe, still or moving, indicates His existence and the fact that He is the Sustainer of all existence. He is the One Who responds to those in distress, removes harm, relieves people of their anguish, and forgives errors.
He is the One Whose help is sought in dealing with any calamity and Whose favors and blessings keep descending.
He is the One to Whom all faces and voices will be humbled. {And [all] faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer...} [Surat Taha: 111]
He is the One most worthy of being remembered, worshiped, and praised. He is the Best Supporter, the Most Compassionate King, the Most Generous Giver, the Most Forgiving and All-Powerful, and the Most Just in retribution.
His forbearance follows His knowledge, His pardon and forgiveness follow His ability and power, and His withholding is for a wise purpose.
He is Allah, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer, Who has no partner, and the One Who has no equal: {Allah - there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer...} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]
He has made some of His signs clear to those who contemplate, and some are clear to all. He has rebutted the excuses of the obstinate and the arguments of the deniers, thus brightly revealing the signs of His lordship and divinity.
Allah Almighty is the Sustainer of all creation. He does not need any of them, and they all stand in need of Him - the close angels, the carriers of the Throne, and the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. {O people, it is you who stand in need of Allah; as for Allah, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.} [Surat Fātir: 15]
To Allah belong honor, power, majesty, pride, authority, the dominion, and judgment. Glorification and extolment are due to Him. He is perfect in His attributes and actions. {Allah - there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer. No drowsiness or sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth...} [Surat al-Baqarah: 255]
Allah Almighty does not sleep, and it does not befit Him to sleep. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “Allah does not sleep, and it is not befitting of Him to sleep. He lowers the Scales and raises them. The deeds done during the night are taken up to Him before the deeds done during the day, and the deeds done during the day before the deeds done during the night. His veil is light - fire - and if He were to remove it, the glory of his face would burn everything of His creation as far as His sight reaches.” [Narrated by Muslim]
Glory be to the One Whose light brightened the heavens and the earth and Whose Face illuminated darkness. Glory be to the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer!
Whoever knows that Allah is the All-Sustainer, his heart will no longer be attached to created beings, rather his heart will feel at ease with His Creator, his Provider, and the Manager of his affairs. Within our souls, there is a need that cannot be fulfilled by wealth, prestige, pleasures, or fame.
It can only be fulfilled by having faith in Allah Almighty, feeling secure with Him, and relying upon Him. Glory be to Allah Who says: {Those who believe and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 28]
We implore You, our Lord, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustainer, to forgive our sins, conceal our faults, help us obey You, admit us into Paradise, and save us from Hellfire.