﷽ Al-Asmaa ul-Husna : Benefits of reciting Ya Muhyi (يا محيى)

Name

المحيى
Al-Muhyi

Meaning

The Giver of Life
The Bestower of Life

Explanation

The One who created life. The One who makes all things live. The One who decides what will be vitalized and brought to life. The One, and only One, who can bring something to life. The One who brings the heart to life. The One who revives and grants wholeness, even to the spiritually dead.

Quran

وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْيِي وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ الْوَارِثُونَ

And indeed, it is We who give life and cause death, and We are the Inheritor. (15:23)

لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

His is the dominion of the heavens and earth. He gives life and causes death, and He is over all things competent. (57:2)

فَانظُرْ إِلَىٰ آثَارِ رَحْمَتِ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

So observe the effects of the mercy of Allah - how He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed, that [same one] will give life to the dead, and He is over all things competent. (30:50)

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death." So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided. (7:158)

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْأَرْضَ خَاشِعَةً فَإِذَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

And of His signs is that you see the earth stilled, but when We send down upon it rain, it quivers and grows. Indeed, He who has given it life is the Giver of Life to the dead. Indeed, He is over all things competent. (41:39)

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا ۚ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ

And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision. (3:169)

Hadith

1. Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman (رضي الله عنه) narrated that when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) wanted to sleep, he would say:

‏ اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

“O Allah, in Your Name I die and I live.”

And when he would wake, he would say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَا نَفْسِي بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَهَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ

“Allah praise is due to Allah who revived my soul after causing its death and to Him is the resurrection.”

(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3417)

2. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “Whoever says ten times:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

‘None has the right to be worshipped by Allah, Alone, without partner, to Him belongs all that exists, and to Him belongs the praise, [He gives life and causes death,] and He has power over all things,’

it is for him equal to freeing four slaves among the offspring of Isma`il (عليه السلام).”

(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3553)

3. It was narrated from Salim bin 'Abdullah bin 'Umar, from his father, that his grandfather (رضی الله عنهم) told that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: "Whoever says, when he enters the marketplace:

لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَىٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

'None has the right to be worshiped but Allah alone, with no partner, to Him belongs all sovereignty and to Him is the praise, He gives life and gives death, and He is Ever-Living and does not die; in His Hand is all goodness and He is Able to do all things,'

Allah will record for him one million good deeds, and will erase from him one million bad deeds, and will build for him a house in Paradise. "

(Sunan Ibn Majah Book 12, Hadith 99)

4. Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: If anyone repeats in the morning:

فسبحان الله حين تمسون وحين تصبحون
وله الحمد في السماوات والأرض وعشيّا وحين تظهرون
يخرج الحي من الميت ويخرج الميت من الحي ويحيي الأرض بعد موتها وكذلك تخرجون

So exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning.
And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth.And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.
He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. And thus will you be brought out. (30:17-19)

he will get that day what he has missed; and if anyone repeats these words in the evening he will get that night what he has missed. Ar-Rabi’ transmitted it from al-Layth.

(Sunan Abi Dawud 5076)

5. Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said,

‏مثل الذي يذكر ربه والذي لا يذكره، مثل الحي والميت

"The similitude of one who remembers his Rubb and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead."

(Riyad as-Salihin 1434)

6. Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) said, "In the morning, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) would say,

اللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أَصْبَحْنَا، وَبِكَ أَمْسَيْنَا، وَبِكَ نَحْيَا، وَبِكَ نَمُوتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ النُّشُورُ

'O Allah, We enter the morning by You and we enter the evening by You. We live by You and we die by You and to You is gathering.'

In the evening, he would say,

اللَّهُمَّ بِكَ أَمْسَيْنَا، وَبِكَ أَصْبَحْنَا، وَبِكَ نَحْيَا، وَبِكَ نَمُوتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ‏

'O Allah, we enter the evening by You and we enter the morning by You and we live by You and we die by You and to You is the return'."

(Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1199)

7. Narrated Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه) : The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "None of you should wish for death because of a calamity befalling him; but if he has to wish for death, he should say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي، وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي

"O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me'."

(Sahih al-Bukhari 5671)

8. Yahya related from Malik (رحمهم الله) that he heard that Luqman al-Hakeem (عليه السلام) made his will and counselled his son, saying,

يَا بُنَىَّ جَالِسِ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَزَاحِمْهُمْ بِرُكْبَتَيْكَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الْقُلُوبَ بِنُورِ الْحِكْمَةِ كَمَا يُحْيِي اللَّهُ الأَرْضَ الْمَيْتَةَ بِوَابِلِ السَّمَاءِ

"My son! Sit with the learned men and keep close to them. Allah gives life to the hearts with the light of wisdom as Allah gives life to the dead earth with the abundant rain of the sky."

(Muwatta Malik 59/1, Kitab-ul-Ilm)

9. ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said,

اعْلَمْ إِنَّهُ مَنْ أَحْيَا سُنَّةً مِنْ سُنَّتِي قَدْ أُمِيتَتْ بَعْدِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مِنْ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلَ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ ابْتَدَعَ بِدْعَةَ ضَلَالَةٍ لَا تُرْضِي اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا لَا يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَوْزَارِ النَّاسِ شَيْئً

“Know that whoever revives a tradition from my Sunnah if it has died out after me, he will have a reward like those who act upon it without diminishing any of their rewards. Whoever innovates a misguided heresy not pleasing to Allah and his messenger, he will have a sin like those who act upon it without diminishing any of the people’s burdens.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2677)

10. Narrated Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه): "The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said to me:

يَا بُنَىَّ إِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تُصْبِحَ وَتُمْسِيَ لَيْسَ فِي قَلْبِكَ غِشٌّ لأَحَدٍ فَافْعَلْ

'O my son! If you are capable of (waking up in) the morning and (ending) the evening, while there is nothing of deception in your heart for anything, then do so.'

Then he said to me:

يَا بُنَىَّ وَذَلِكَ مِنْ سُنَّتِي وَمَنْ أَحْيَا سُنَّتِي فَقَدْ أَحَبَّنِي ‏.‏ وَمَنْ أَحَبَّنِي كَانَ مَعِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ

'O my son! That is from my Sunnah. Whoever revives my Sunnah then he has loved me. And whoever loved me, he shall be with me in Paradise.'"

(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2678)

Benefits of invoking (Ya Allahu) Ya Muhyiu frequently