Ayatul Kursi — the greatest verse of the Qur'an

Arabic

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Transliteration

Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwal-ḥayyul-qayyūm. Lā ta'khudhuhū sinatun wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fis-samāwāti wa mā fil-arḍ. Man dhal-ladhī yashfa'u 'indahū illā bi-idhnih. Ya'lamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum. Wa lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shay'im-min 'ilmihī illā bimā shā'. Wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samāwāti wal-arḍ. Wa lā ya'ūduhū ḥifẓuhumā. Wa huwal-'aliyyul-'aẓīm.

Translation (Saheeh International)

"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."

Virtues from authentic hadith

• The greatest verse of the Qur'an. The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b which verse of the Book of Allah was the greatest. When Ubayy answered "Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer" (Ayatul Kursi), the Prophet ﷺ struck him on the chest and said, "May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abul-Mundhir." (Sahih Muslim 810)
• Protection through the night. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever recites Ayatul Kursi at night, a guardian from Allah will remain with them and no devil will come near them until morning. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311)
• After every obligatory prayer. "Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death." (Sunan an-Nasa'i al-Kubra; graded sahih by al-Albani)

When to recite it

• After each of the five daily prayers
• Before sleeping, together with the morning and evening adhkar
• When seeking protection — before travel, entering a new place, or in fear

The last two ayat of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:285–286)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5009; Sahih Muslim 807)

These verses affirm the belief of the Muslims in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, and end with the du'a: "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred… Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear… You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people."