Al Hai comes from the root word Hayya, which means “To live, be alive…awake.” (Omar pg 144) In order to create life and maintain all of creation, the Divine has to be that which is truly alive and the source of all life-giving energy.
Thus, Al Hai signifies that God is the truly alive consciousness that presides over all living things. Nothing is alive without the conscious will of God drawing, or speaking, them into existence. Yet God was not drawn or spoken into existence; The Divine simply lives.
Divinely Awake
Given the root of the word, it can be understood that God is truly alive because He is truly awake and conscious of all that He has created.
“Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive [Al Hai], the Eternal… Lo! nothing in the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah. He it is Who fashions you in the wombs as pleases Him. There is no God save Him, the Almighty, the Wise.” (Quran 3: 4-6)
The Divine is the truly awake consciousness over all consciousness. There is no conscious thought without the true consciousness existing behind every sentient being. Whatever form life takes it is shaped by Al Hai; whether in the wombs, on land or in the sea. As such, Muslims should cherish all life, as all life is sacred proceeding forth from the Divine.
Yahya (John the Baptist)
The name Yahya also comes from the same root as Al Hai. It signifies “he lives”. Yahya is the name that the Quran gives for the Prophet John the Baptist.
“O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is Yahya (John); we have given the same name to none before (him).” (Quran 19:7)
This name, applied to none before suggests, that John is one who has awareness as his gift. For the Divine bestows what He will on whom He pleases. In Islam all prophets have a distinctive gift that allows them to be recognized; Prophet Moses had seemingly magical powers, Prophet Jesus the gift to heal, Prophet Muhammad brought the unmatched Quran.
As such, all members of humanity have specific gifts that have been bestowed upon each and every one of us; these gifts vary in extravagance and potentiality. It is not for us to be jealous of those gifts we see bestowed on others, but simply we should seek those gifts that we possess and develop what appears within our own selves. This awakens us and lets us truly live in a way that God intended; however, when we get trapped into being or doing something other than our “birthright” we tend to be less pleased with our lives.
Hayyatun
We can look to a portion of Prophet Moses' story as an example of the importance of finding and attaining our gifts.
The word Hayyatun is also produced from the root word “hayya” and means serpent. It is mentioned in the Quran when Prophet Moses met with the Divine on the mountain during a familiar scene at the burning bush.
“And what is that in thy right hand, O Prophet Moses? He said: This is my staff whereon I lean, and wherewith I beat down branches for my sheep, and wherein I find other uses. He said: Cast it down, O Prophet Moses! So he cast it down, and lo! it was a serpent, gliding [hayyatun]. He said: Grasp it and fear not. We shall return it to its former state.“ (Quran 20: 17-21)
This is the potentiality of Prophet Moses’ Divine gift as represented by the mysterious movements of the snake. The side-to-side gliding movement of the snake poses a unique curiosity, as it is hard to determine the speed and distance of its travel; thus it contains within its movements infinite possibilities. Prophet Moses commanded to reach down and recover the power of this apparent living force for the purpose of using it in God’s service.
The key to understanding this power is contained in the root of the word hayyatun. Which signifies that this power is a living Divine force given to Prophet Moses to use and wield; it was no mere snake. Thus the potential to contain such force must apparently be present in Prophet Moses’ own self; as we have our own potential within ourselves waiting to be discovered and actualized.
Actualization of our own gifts is what will carry us inexorably to higher states of consciousness and make us successful in this world and the next; as long as we utilize them in God’s cause, and allow the seeking and discovery of our gifts to awaken us to our true selves.
Sources:
- Abdullah Yusef Ali, The Holy Quran; With Arabic Text.
- Abdul Mannan Omar, Dictionary of The Holy Quran.
Khalil Green - Khalil Green has obtained a Bachelors Degree with Departmental Honors in Religious Studies from Washburn University in Topeka Ks. His ...
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