Al-Kursī Verse | 2:255

1. Al-Kursī Verse

Al-Kursī Verse (Arabic: آیة الکرسی) is the verse 255 of the Quran 2 (Sūrah al-Baqarah) in the Quran. In English it is known as the Throne Verse.

Some exegetes of the Quran have taken its following 2 verses (256-257) to be part of the Al-Kursī Verse.

This is the only verse in the Quran in which "God's Kursī (seat or throne)" is mentioned as extending to the heavens and the Earth. This is why the verse was known as the Al-Kursī Verse. It was called so since the time of the Prophet (s).

According to hadiths, it is recommended to recite this verse in all conditions,

particularly after performing prayers, before going to sleep, when leaving home, when facing dangers and troubles, when driving a vehicle to prevent evil eyes, for health, and so on.

Āyat al-Kursī is regarded as one of the most powerful verses in the Quran because when it is recited, the greatness of God is believed to be confirmed.

The person who recites this verse in the morning and evening will be under protection of Allah from the evil of the Jinns; this is also known as the daily Adhkar.

It is used in exorcism, to cure and protect from Jinns.

2. Text

The verse 255, and also according to some hadiths and views of some scholars of Quranic exegesis verses 256 and 257, of the Quran 2 are parts of the Al-Kursī Verse.1

اَللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ 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 (٢٥٥) لَا إِكْرَ‌اهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّ‌شْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ‌ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّـهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْ‌وَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّـهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٥٦) اللَّـهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِ‌جُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ‌ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِ‌جُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ‌ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُولَـٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ‌ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Al-Lahu L‍‍ā 'Il‍‍ā‍‍h‍‍a 'Illā Huwa A‍‍l-Ĥayyu A‍‍l-Qayy‍‍ū‍‍mu Lā Ta'‍‍kh‍‍u‍‍dh‍‍uh‍‍u Sinatu‍‍n Wa Lā Nawmu‍‍n Lahu Mā Fī A‍‍s-Samāw‍‍ā‍‍ti Wa Mā Fī A‍‍l-'Arđi Ma‍‍n Dh‍‍ā A‍‍l-La‍‍dh‍‍ī Ya‍‍sh‍‍fa`u `I‍‍n‍‍dah‍‍u 'Illā Bi'i‍‍dh‍‍nih‍‍i Ya`lamu Mā Bayna 'Aydīhi‍‍m Wa Mā Kh‍‍alfahu‍‍m Wa Lā Yuĥīţ‍‍ū‍‍na Bi‍‍sh‍‍ay'i‍‍n Min `Ilmih‍‍i 'Illā Bimā Sh‍‍‍ā‍‍'a Wasi`a Kursīyuhu A‍‍s-Samāw‍‍ā‍‍ti Wa A‍‍l-'Arđa Wa Lā Ya'‍‍ū‍‍duhu Ĥifžuhumā Wa Huwa A‍‍l-`Al‍‍ī‍‍yu A‍‍l-`Až‍‍ī‍‍m‍‍u

"Allah—there is no God except Him—is the Living One, the All-sustainer. Neither drowsiness befalls Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.

Who is it that may intercede with Him except with His permission?

He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He wishes.

His Seat embraces the heavens and the earth and He is not wearied by their preservation, and He is the All-exalted, the All-supreme.(255)

Verses 255-256

There is no compulsion in religion: rectitude has become distinct from error.

So one who disavows fake deities and has faith in Allah has held fast to the firmest handle for which there is no breaking; and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing. (256)

Allah is the Walī of the faithful: He brings them out of darkness into light.

As for the faithless, their Awliyā are the fake deities, who drive them out of light into darkness. They shall be the inmates of the Fire, and they will remain in it [forever].

(Quran 2:255,256,257)

3. Meaning

From Muslim scholars' viewpoint, the 2 notions of "Qayyūm" and "Kursī" have been more controversial than various other notions in this verse.

The word "Kursī" means seat, throne, knowledge, and the realm.

In different hadiths by Shi'a Imams (a),

"Kursī" in this verse has been interpreted as divine knowledge; thus the verse means that "his knowledge extends to heavens and the Earth".2

According to a hadith from Imam al-Sādiq (a), "Kursī" is a sort of knowledge, unique to God, of which He has not informed any of his prophets and Imams.3

4. Merits and Benefits

With respect to its content, the Al-Kursī Verse contains deep religious doctrines, and hadiths have emphasized the merits of reciting the verse and its positive impacts on one's life.

The verse came to be called "Al-Kursī" since the time of the Prophet (s):

He is quoted as saying that "the greatest verse in the Quran is the Al-Kursī Verse"4

and "the master of all words in the Quran; the master of the Quran is Sūrah al-Baqarah, and the master of Sūrah al-Baqarah is the Al-Kursī Verse".5

The verse has always been particularly honoured by Muslims, since all Islamic doctrines rest upon monotheism, which is comprehensively summarized in the Al-Kursī Verse.

The verse characterizes both the Divine essence and the Divine attributes and acts.6

There are many hadiths in both Shiite and Sunni sources concerning the features and positive impacts of reciting the Al-Kursī Verse in different circumstances:

According to these hadiths, it is recommended to recite this verse in all conditions,

particularly after performing prayers, before going to sleep, when leaving home, when facing dangers and troubles, when riding a vehicle, to prevent evil eyes, for health, and so on.7

  • 1. Muʿīnī, "Āyāt al-kursī", p. 101.
  • 2. Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 2, p. 272.
  • 3. Ṣadūq, Maʿānī l-Akhbār, vol. 1, p. 67.
  • 4. Suyūtī, al-Jāmi al-ṣaghīr, vol. 1, p. 47.
  • 5. Suyūtī, al-Jāmi al-ṣaghīr, vol. 2, p. 35.
  • 6. Ghazālī, Jawāhir al-Qurān, p. 73-75.
  • 7. Muʿīnī, "Āyat al-kursī", p. 101.