Anxiety & hardship
Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum (O Ever-Living, O Sustainer)
The Prophet ﷺ used to say this when something distressed him, calling on Allah by two of His greatest names: al-Hayy, the Ever-Living, and al-Qayyum, the One who sustains all that exists. You are not asking through your own strength but through His mercy alone. Turn to it when worry, grief or a crisis leaves you feeling you have nowhere else to go.
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ
Yā Ḥayyu yā Qayyūm, bi-raḥmatika astaghīth
O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, by Your mercy I seek relief.
Authenticity: Reported by at-Tirmidhi (3524), who noted it as gharib; graded hasan by al-Albani.
Download image to shareWhen to say it
In any moment of distress, anxiety or hardship, when a matter weighs on your heart.
How often
There is no fixed count; repeat it sincerely for as long as the distress lasts.
Frequently asked
When did the Prophet ﷺ say this du'a?
Anas ibn Malik reported that whenever something distressed the Prophet ﷺ, he would say: Ya Hayyu ya Qayyum, bi-rahmatika astaghith (at-Tirmidhi 3524). It is a du'a for any time of hardship or worry.
Why call on the names al-Hayy and al-Qayyum?
Because they are among Allah's greatest names: al-Hayy is the Ever-Living who never dies, and al-Qayyum is the Self-Subsisting who sustains all creation. Calling on them affirms that only the One who holds everything can relieve you.