Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Ayat al-KursiThe Throne Verse · Quran 2:255

Also written Ayatul Kursi · Ayat ul Kursi · The Throne Verse · آية الكرسي

2:255

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

al-lahu lā ilāha illā huwa l-ḥayu l-qayūmu lā takhudhuhu sinatun walā nawmun lahu mā fī l-samāwāti wamā fī l-arḍi man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idh'nihi yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wamā khalfahum walā yuḥīṭūna bishayin min ʿil'mihi illā bimā shāa wasiʿa kur'siyyuhu l-samāwāti wal-arḍa walā yaūduhu ḥif'ẓuhumā wahuwa l-ʿaliyu l-ʿaẓīmu

Allāh - 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 Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

— Saheeh International

God: there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful.Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His leave? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they do not comprehend any of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both. He is the Most High, the Tremendous.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Allâh! Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayyul-Qayyum (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursî extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursî ]

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 3Page 42medinan

What is Ayat al-Kursi about?

Ayat al-Kursi, the Throne Verse, is verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah. In one sentence it describes who Allah is: the only God, the Ever-Living who sustains everything, untouched by sleep or tiredness, owner of the heavens and the earth. No one intercedes before Him without His permission, and no one grasps any of His knowledge except what He allows. His Kursi, His footstool or dominion, extends over the heavens and the earth, and guarding them does not weary Him. The verse closes with two of His names: the Most High, the Most Great. It is a compact statement of tawhid, the oneness of Allah, which is why it is the most frequently memorised single verse of the Quran.

When is it recited?

  • After every obligatory prayer.(Sunan an-Nasa’i al-Kubra 9848, graded sahih by al-Albani)
  • Before sleeping, for protection through the night.(Sahih al-Bukhari 2311)
  • In the morning and evening adhkar.

Why is it called the greatest verse?

The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka’b which verse of the Quran is the greatest. Ubayy answered with Ayat al-Kursi, and the Prophet confirmed it.(Sahih Muslim 810)

Sources: Quran 2:255 · Sunan an-Nasa’i al-Kubra 9848 · Sahih al-Bukhari 2311 · Sahih Muslim 810. Reviewed by Ummatey editorial, October 2026.

Word by Word

ٱللَّهُal-lahuAllah
لَآlā(there is) no
إِلَـٰهَilāhaGod
إِلَّاillāexcept
هُوَhuwaHim
ٱلْحَىُّl-ḥayuthe Ever-Living
ٱلْقَيُّومُۚl-qayūmuthe Sustainer of all that exists
لَاlāNot
تَأْخُذُهُۥtakhudhuhuovertakes Him
سِنَةٌۭsinatunslumber
وَلَاwalā[and] not
نَوْمٌۭۚnawmunsleep
لَّهُۥlahuTo Him (belongs)
مَاmāwhat(ever)
فِىfī(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِl-samāwātithe heavens
وَمَاwamāand what(ever)
فِىfī(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِۗl-arḍithe earth
مَنmanWho
ذَاdhā(is) the one
ٱلَّذِىalladhīwho
يَشْفَعُyashfaʿucan intercede
عِندَهُۥٓʿindahuwith Him
إِلَّاillāexcept
بِإِذْنِهِۦۚbi-idh'nihiby His permission
يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuHe knows
مَاmāwhat
بَيْنَbayna(is)
أَيْدِيهِمْaydīhimbefore them
وَمَاwamāand what
خَلْفَهُمْۖkhalfahum(is) behind them
وَلَاwalāAnd not
يُحِيطُونَyuḥīṭūnathey encompass
بِشَىْءٍۢbishayinanything
مِّنْminof
عِلْمِهِۦٓʿil'mihiHis Knowledge
إِلَّاillāexcept
بِمَاbimā[of] what
شَآءَۚshāaHe willed
وَسِعَwasiʿaExtends
كُرْسِيُّهُkur'siyyuhuHis Seat
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِl-samāwāti(to) the heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَۖwal-arḍaand the earth
وَلَاwalāAnd not
يَـُٔودُهُۥyaūduhutires Him
حِفْظُهُمَاۚḥif'ẓuhumā(the) guarding of both of them
وَهُوَwahuwaAnd He
ٱلْعَلِىُّl-ʿaliyu(is) the Most High
ٱلْعَظِيمُl-ʿaẓīmuthe Most Great