Ayatul Kursi (Verse of the Throne)
آية الكرسي · Surah al-Baqara, verse 255
Ayatul Kursi is the best-known verse of the Quran. It describes Allah's oneness, His eternal life, His knowledge and His power. Here you find it in Arabic, transliteration and English, with audio, explanation and its virtues from the hadith.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٞ وَلَا نَوۡمٞۚ 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﴾
Ayatul Kursi transliteration
Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum, la ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la naum, lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard, man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih, ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bi-shai'in min 'ilmihi illa bima sha', wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard, wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma, wa huwal-'aliyyul-'azim.
Ayatul Kursi in English
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
Translation: Saheeh International.
Meaning, phrase by phrase
Allahu la ilaha illa huwa
Allah – there is no god but Him. The verse opens with the oneness of Allah (tawhid).
al-Hayyul-Qayyum
The Ever-Living, the Sustainer: He lives forever and everything depends on Him, while He depends on nothing.
la ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la naum
Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. His care for creation never lapses.
man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih
No one can intercede with Him except by His permission.
ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum
He knows what is before people and what is behind them: future and past.
wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard
His Kursi (footstool) extends over the heavens and the earth. The verse is named after this word.
wa huwal-'aliyyul-'azim
He is the Most High, the Most Great. The verse ends with two names of Allah.
Virtues of Ayatul Kursi
The greatest verse in the Quran: The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b which verse in the Book of Allah is the greatest. He answered: "Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum", and the Prophet ﷺ confirmed it (Muslim).
Protection at night: Whoever recites it when going to bed will have a guardian from Allah, and no devil will come near him until morning (al-Bukhari).
After every obligatory prayer: Whoever recites it after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death (an-Nasa'i in as-Sunan al-Kubra, graded authentic by al-Albani).
Morning and evening: Ayatul Kursi is part of the morning and evening athkar (al-Hakim).
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ayatul Kursi in the Quran?
Ayatul Kursi is verse 255 of the second surah, Surah al-Baqara, in the third juz.
What does "Kursi" mean?
Kursi means footstool. The verse says that Allah's Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth. According to the scholars, the Throne (al-'Arsh) is greater still.
When should Ayatul Kursi be recited?
In the morning and evening, after every obligatory prayer and before sleeping. There are authentic narrations for each.
How can I memorise Ayatul Kursi?
Learn it in short parts using the transliteration while listening to the recitation. You can play it above.