Ayatul Kursi
Al-Baqarah 2:255. Also known as Ayat al-Kursi, The Throne Verse, Ayat ul Kursi
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةࣱ وَلَا نَوۡمࣱۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ﴿٢٥٥﴾
Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alhayyu alqayyoomu la takhuthuhu sinatun wala nawmun lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi man tha allathee yashfaAAu AAindahu illa biithnihi yaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala yuheetoona bishayin min AAilmihi illa bima shaa wasiAAa kursiyyuhu alssamawati waalarda wala yaooduhu hifthuhuma wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu
Allah! There is no god except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they cannot grasp any of His knowledge, except as He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not burden Him. He is the Most High, the Great.
Ayatul Kursi, the Throne Verse, is verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah, the second and longest surah of the Quran. It takes its name from the word kursi, usually translated as throne or footstool, which appears near its end. It is one of the most memorized verses in the Quran, and many Muslims learn it as children alongside Al-Fatihah.
The verse is almost entirely about Allah Himself. It does not tell a story or give a command. In a single long verse it describes His life, His wakefulness, His ownership of everything, His knowledge and His authority, and it ends by naming Him the Most High and the Great.
What it means
Only Allah is worthy of worship
The verse opens by naming Allah and declaring that there is no god except Him. Everything that follows explains why. Two of His names come straight after: the Living, whose life has no beginning or end, and the Everlasting, who sustains everything else and depends on nothing.
He never tires or sleeps
The verse then says that neither drowsiness nor sleep ever takes hold of Him. People need rest and lose awareness when they sleep. Allah never does, so there is no moment when the world is left unattended.
Everything belongs to Him
All that is in the heavens and on earth is His. This includes the things we think of as our own. It is a reminder that we hold what we have on trust.
No one speaks for others without His permission
The verse asks who could intercede with Him except by His leave. No person, angel or idol has independent power to plead for anyone. Any intercession that happens is something Allah Himself allows.
His knowledge is complete, ours is partial
Allah knows what lies ahead of people and what lies behind them. People, on the other hand, take in only the portion of His knowledge that He chooses to give. This is a humbling line for anyone who thinks they understand everything about their own life.
His Kursi encompasses the heavens and the earth
The Kursi, from which the verse takes its name, extends over the heavens and the earth. Guarding and preserving all of it does not weigh on Him at all. Scholars have discussed what exactly the Kursi is, but the point of the line is clear: the whole created world is small beside His greatness.
The Most High, the Great
The verse closes with two names, the Most High and the Great. After everything it has described, these names gather it up. He is above His creation in every sense, and nothing compares to Him.
Where it sits in Surah Al-Baqarah
Ayatul Kursi comes at the start of the third juz. Just before it, verse 253 speaks of the messengers and how people disputed after them, and verse 254 urges believers to spend from what they have been given before a Day when there will be no trade, friendship or intercession. Ayatul Kursi then answers the question of who really holds power on that Day. Directly after it, verse 256 states that there is no compulsion in religion, because truth has been made clear, and verse 257 describes Allah as the protector of believers who brings them out of darkness into light. Verse 258 then begins the story of Abraham (Ibrahim) arguing with a king about who gives life and death.
How it is used
Muslims recite Ayatul Kursi often, especially before sleeping. Sahih al-Bukhari reports that Abu Hurayrah, while guarding charity, was taught by a night visitor to recite it in bed for protection until morning, and that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said the visitor had told the truth even though he was a liar, identifying him as Satan. Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b which verse of the Quran was the greatest, and when Ubayy named this verse, the Prophet ﷺ congratulated him on his knowledge. Many Muslims also recite it after each obligatory prayer, based on a narration in an-Nasa'i's as-Sunan al-Kubra that a number of scholars have graded authentic.
Questions
Which surah is Ayatul Kursi in?
Ayatul Kursi is verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah, the second surah of the Quran. It is at the beginning of the third juz.
When should I read Ayatul Kursi?
The best-known times are before sleeping, based on a narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, and after the obligatory prayers, based on a narration in an-Nasa'i's as-Sunan al-Kubra. It can be recited at any time.
Why is it called the greatest verse of the Quran?
Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet ﷺ affirmed Ubayy ibn Ka'b's answer that this is the greatest verse. Scholars explain that its greatness comes from its subject: it is devoted entirely to describing Allah, His names and His attributes.
What does Kursi mean?
Kursi is usually translated as throne or footstool. The verse says it extends over the heavens and the earth. Scholars have discussed its exact nature, and most simply affirm it as the verse describes it.