God as the Self Sustaining implies that the Divinity is not in need of any outside influence, or sustenance, to sustain its life; this is the Divine which Muslims call Allah.
The word Qayyum, itself, comes from the root word Qama, and it means, “to stand, stand firm, rise, appear in broad light … sustain.” (Omar page 474)
Al-Qayyum
Thus, Al Qayyum is the One who remains the same and never changes, existing before anything was created and known, and will continue to be when all else has perished. The Divine has no need to change as He is self sustaining. Allah is best described in this verse from the Quran.
“Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Self Sustaining [Al-Qayyum]. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him…His throne includes the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.” (Quran 2:255)
As such, the truly Divine needs no rest or assistance from anything. The Divine is completely perfect in its existence, calm and poised.
We feel this calm and perfect spirit when we pray or meditate with all of our heart. This is shown in the call to prayer phrase “iqamah as-salat.” It is no mistake that iqamah shares its root word Qama with Qayyum and means, observe; as in iqamah as-salat (observe the prayer). Devotees are being directed to that which brings peace, harmony and steadfastness to the soul; total focus on the Divine through prayer and meditation.
Qiyamah
Qiyamah is another word that shares its root with Qayyum. It means “lasting…Eternal, right.” It refers to the Day that all Muslims believe they will meet the Divine; The Day of Judgment.
“… I swear by the Day of Resurrection [Qiyamah]; …I swear by the accusing soul [nafsi Lawwama] … When will be this Day of Resurrection? …when sight is confounded and the moon is eclipsed and sun and moon are united, on that day man will cry: Whither to flee! Alas! No refuge! Unto thy Lord is the recourse that day.” (Quran 75: 1-12)
This soul (nafsi lawwama) is the middle soul. It is the soul that commands us to that which is right, just, and thus brings us everlasting pleasure from the Divine. Thus thru this soul is the goal of a higher level of conscious existence advanced to surface in one’s self, bringing us closer to calm and poise.
Mustaqim
Yet another word derived from the same root is mustaqim, which means “exact right, shortest straight, path.” This word is used in the very first chapter of the Quran called Al-Fatiha (The Opening).
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The Beneficent, the Merciful. Owner of the Day of Judgment [Qiyamah], Thee we worship; Thee we ask for help. Show us the straight path [mustaqim], the path of those whom Thou hast favored…” (Quran 1:1-7)
In this first chapter of the Quran, which is actually a prayer, Muslims invoke God to show them the straight (mustaqim) way; again, a word that shares its root with the name Self-Sustaining. The straightway therefore is the devotional path that leads to calm, poise, and a spiritual life through the continuous remembrance (dhikr) of the Divine, and the elevated life to come.
Thus, through prayer, remembrance of God, and meditation does the soul get a taste of where it came from and where it will return to; the Ever-Living Self-Sustaining Divine.
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 ...
Join the Conversation