Ayat al-Kursi, the “Verse of the Throne”, is Al-Baqarah 2:255. It’s a single ayah, but a long one, and it’s one of the most important passages a Muslim can know by heart.
The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka’b which ayah of the Book of Allah was the greatest. When Ubayy answered with Ayat al-Kursi, the Prophet ﷺ struck him on the chest and congratulated him on his knowledge (Sahih Muslim 810).
In another narration, Abu Hurairah was told that whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi when going to bed will have a guardian from Allah through the night, and Shaytan will not come near them until morning. The Prophet ﷺ confirmed that this was true (Sahih al-Bukhari 5010).
Learn it in nine phrases
The ayah divides naturally into nine short phrases, most of them separated by stopping marks in the mushaf. Learn one or two phrases at a time, then join them. The headings give a short summary of each phrase; the full translation of the ayah is below the ninth.
1. He is Allah
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ
Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum.
2. No drowsiness, no sleep
لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ
La ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm.
3. Everything belongs to Him
لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ
Lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard.
4. No one intercedes without permission
مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ
Man dhal-ladhi yashfa’u ‘indahu illa bi-idhnih.
5. He knows everything
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ
Ya’lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum.
6. They know only what He wills
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ
Wa la yuhituna bi-shay’im-min ‘ilmihi illa bima sha’.
7. His Kursi
وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ
Wasi’a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard.
8. Guarding them doesn’t burden Him
وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا
Wa la ya’uduhu hifzuhuma.
9. The Most High
وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Wa huwal-‘aliyyul-‘azim.
“Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. 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.”
Al-Baqarah 2:255, Saheeh International translation. Compare translations on quran.com
A three-day plan
- Day 1: phrases 1 to 3. Recite them together ten times through the day.
- Day 2: phrases 4 to 6. Then recite 1 to 6 together.
- Day 3: phrases 7 to 9. Then recite the whole ayah, five times in a row, without looking.
Many children and adults learn it in a single day by repeating it often. Spreading it over three days gives you more time to revise each part.
Notice the pattern
The structure of the ayah helps you remember it:
- It begins and ends with names of Allah: al-Hayy al-Qayyum at the start, al-‘Aliyy al-‘Azim at the end.
- The middle moves outward: His own nature, then what He owns, then who may speak to Him, then His knowledge, then His Kursi that spans everything.
- Twice it mentions the heavens and the earth: first as what He owns (phrase 3), then as what His Kursi encompasses (phrase 7).
Pronunciation points
- ح in al-hayy is the throaty h, not a plain one.
- Hold the shaddah in al-hayyu, al-qayyumu, kursiyyuhu and al-‘aliyyu.
- ظ in hifzuhuma is a heavy letter. Many non-Arabs say it as z. Get it checked by a teacher.
- ع in ya’lamu, ‘indahu, ‘ilmihi and al-‘azim.
Making it part of your day
Recite it after your prayers and before you sleep, and you’ll be revising it several times a day without trying. If you’re learning more of Al-Baqarah, the last two ayat of the surah are another short passage with a clear virtue: The Last Two Ayat of Al-Baqarah. For more ideas on where to start, see Which Surahs Should You Memorize First?
