"The Self-Subsisting Lord of All Names") is the first major work by Siyyid ʻAlí Muhammad Shírází, the Báb, after declaring himself to be the Qa'im, the eschatological figure expected by many in Shia Islam.
[2] While ostensibly the Qayyūm al-asmā is an esoteric commentary on the story of Joseph and the principles of Islam, inwardly it stakes a much larger claim, making evocative and enigmatic addresses to humanity on the need for renewed spiritual and ethical teachings.
[2] The provocative and stimulating nature of this work ignited significant religious fervor throughout Persia, quickly galvanizing both devoted followers and fanatical critics alike, and ultimately sparking the birth of the Babi Faith.
"The Self-Subsisting One" (al-qayyum) is the 63rd name of God, and it is etymologically linked to the term Qa'im, a central theme in the work and others of the Báb.
In the evening hours of May 22nd, 1844, the Báb proclaimed himself as a divine emissary, the Báb (gate), and then later the return of the Twelfth Imam, whom the Shiites are waiting to return at the end of days to fill the earth with justice after its being filled with oppression, a figure widely considered as the inaugurator of the eschatological age and the end of human history.
Within a few months he was put on trial for heresy on the basis of an analysis by Sunni and Shi'a clerics of the copy of the Qayyūm al-asmā he brought with him on his mission.
The appearance of this formula, unique to the structure of the Quran, adds to the connection that the author sought to create between the existence of al-Asma and the holy book of Islam.
This composition is different from any regular interpretation of Surat Yusuf: much of the book deals with the religious and messianic doctrines of the Báb, with only a slight connection to the Quranic Surah.