Ayat al-Kursi is verse 255 of Surah al-Baqarah (Quran 2:255), known as the Throne Verse. It affirms that Allah is the only God, the Ever-Living who never sleeps, the owner of everything, whose knowledge and sovereignty encompass all creation. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called it the greatest verse in the Quran (Sahih Muslim).
It is one of the most recited and memorised verses in the Quran. Here is what it actually says, phrase by phrase from the classical tafsir, what scholars meant by the "Kursi," and which of its famous virtues are authentic — and which widely-shared ones are not.
The verse
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُAllahu la ilaha illa huwa’l-Hayyu’l-Qayyum. La ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm. Lahu ma fi’s-samawati wa ma fi’l-ard. Man dha’lladhi yashfa’u ’indahu illa bi-idhnih. Ya’lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bi-shay’in min ’ilmihi illa bima sha’. Wasi’a kursiyyuhu’s-samawati wa’l-ard, wa la ya’uduhu hifzuhuma, wa huwa’l-’Aliyyu’l-’Azim.
“Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” (Quran 2:255, Saheeh International translation).
What Ayat al-Kursi means, phrase by phrase
The meanings below follow the classical commentary of Ibn Kathir, one of the most widely used works of tafsir bil-ma’thur:
- “Allah — there is no deity except Him.” A statement of pure tawhid: Allah alone is the Lord and the only one worthy of worship for all of creation.
- “The Ever-Living (al-Hayy), the Sustainer (al-Qayyum).” Al-Hayy is the One whose life is perfect and never ends; al-Qayyum is the self-subsisting One who sustains everything else, so that all creation depends entirely on Him.
- “Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.” This negates any weakness, heedlessness or deficiency in Allah — He is never unaware of His creation. Ibn Kathir cites the hadith that Allah does not sleep, and that it does not befit His majesty to do so.
- “To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth.” Total ownership and authority; all created things are His servants, under His dominion.
- “Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?” No one intercedes before Allah without His leave — a refutation of those who imagined that idols or others could intercede independently.
- “He knows what is before them and what will be after them.” His knowledge encompasses their past and future, their worldly and their eternal affairs, and creatures grasp nothing of His knowledge except what He chooses to disclose.
- “His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth.” A statement of the immense vastness of His Kursi over all creation (explained below).
- “And their preservation tires Him not.” Sustaining and safeguarding the heavens and the earth is no burden or fatigue to Him.
- “And He is the Most High (al-Ali), the Most Great (al-Azim).” A closing affirmation of His supreme transcendence, loftiness and majesty above all creation.
What is the “Kursi”?
Classical scholars transmitted more than one explanation of the Kursi, and it is best understood as an area of legitimate difference rather than a single settled definition:
- A created thing before the Throne. Following a report from Ibn Abbas describing the Kursi as the “place of the two Feet,” many scholars understood it as an immense created thing. The hadith of Abu Dharr compares the seven heavens and earths beside the Kursi to “a ring thrown in a desert.” Ibn Kathir records this report.
- An expression of His knowledge and dominion. It is also related from Ibn Abbas (through Sa’id ibn Jubayr) that the Kursi refers to Allah’s knowledge; this is recorded by al-Baghawi and discussed by al-Tabari, and al-Qurtubi mentions the interpretation of the Kursi as an expression of Allah’s knowledge, dominion and majesty.
One point scholars are agreed on: the Kursi is not the same as the Throne (al-Arsh). The Throne is the greatest created thing and is immeasurably larger; in the hadith of Abu Dharr, the Kursi beside the Throne is itself like a ring in a desert. The two should not be conflated.
The virtues of Ayat al-Kursi — and which reports are authentic
Ayat al-Kursi has several established virtues in authentic hadith. It also has many circulated online that are weak or fabricated, so it is worth being precise. These are the authentic ones:
- The greatest verse in the Quran. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Ubayy ibn Ka’b which verse of the Book of Allah was greatest; when he answered with Ayat al-Kursi, the Prophet congratulated him. (Sahih Muslim).
- A protection when recited before sleep. In the narration of Abu Hurayra, one who recites it before sleeping has a guardian from Allah, and no devil comes near him until morning. (Sahih al-Bukhari).
- Recited after every obligatory prayer. “Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every prescribed prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.” (an-Nasa’i; graded sahih by al-Albani).
- It is linked to the Greatest Name of Allah. In the hadith of Abu Umamah, Allah’s Greatest Name is in three surahs — al-Baqarah, Al Imran and Ta-Ha (Ibn Majah; graded sound by al-Albani) — and scholars identify the instance in al-Baqarah as the phrase al-Hayy al-Qayyum, which occurs in Ayat al-Kursi.
By contrast, several very popular claims have no authentic basis and are classed as weak or fabricated by hadith scholars (see IslamQA and IslamWeb). It is better not to spread them: that reciting it after wudu “raises a person forty ranks,” that “seventy thousand angels” protect whoever recites it on leaving home, that reciting it forty times at sunset earns the reward of forty Hajj, or that it guarantees protection from poverty. The authentic virtues above are more than enough.
When Ayat al-Kursi is recited
Because of those authentic reports, many Muslims make a habit of reciting Ayat al-Kursi after each of the five daily prayers and before going to sleep, as well as within the general morning and evening remembrances. It is also commonly recited for seeking Allah’s protection. None of this requires a fixed number of repetitions or a special ritual — it is simply a blessed verse to keep on the tongue and reflect on in the heart.
Understanding Ayat al-Kursi more deeply
If you want to sit with the verse rather than just recite it, RecitID’s AI Explain Ayah gives a plain-language, sourced explanation of 2:255 and lets you ask follow-up questions through AI Chat — grounded in classical tafsir, as a starting point rather than a replacement for studying it properly or asking a scholar. You can also read the verse in the Tajweed Mushaf and hear it from 100+ reciters. For the wider discipline of Quranic explanation, see what tafsir is.
Frequently asked
What does Ayat al-Kursi mean?
Ayat al-Kursi (Quran 2:255) declares that Allah is the only God, the Ever-Living and Sustainer who is never overtaken by sleep, the owner of everything in the heavens and earth, before whom none intercedes except by His permission, whose knowledge encompasses all things and whose Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth — and He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Why is Ayat al-Kursi so important?
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described it as the greatest verse in the Quran (Sahih Muslim), because it so completely affirms Allah’s oneness, life, sovereignty, knowledge and majesty in a single verse. Authentic hadith also mention its recitation before sleep and after the obligatory prayers.
What is the Kursi in Ayat al-Kursi?
Classical scholars explained the Kursi in more than one way — some, following a report from Ibn Abbas, as an immense created thing before the Throne, and others as an expression of Allah’s knowledge and dominion. It is distinct from, and far smaller than, the Throne (al-Arsh).
When should Ayat al-Kursi be recited?
There are authentic reports of reciting it after each obligatory prayer and before sleep. Beyond that, it can be recited any time as remembrance and for seeking Allah’s protection; no fixed count or special ritual is required.
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