Ayatul-Kursi (Al-Baqarah-255)

1. The Master of the Quranic Verses Ayatul-Kursi (Al-Baqarah-255) Translated & Prepared by: Dina Sabri Reviewed by: Soad Naguib www.AhbabAllah.net

2. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. {Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on 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 Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preventing them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.}

3. Why is this verse the master of the verses? • Ayatul-kursi: Qu’ranic verse no.255 of Surat Al-Baqarah includes all the main basis of Islam, the True Religion as it comprises the essence of monotheism. • It is the most noble verse of the Qur’an. • It contains 50 words and each word is laden with 50 blessings. • It equals one third of the holy Qu’ran. • It comprises more than 17 names of Allah’s most beautiful names. Some of these names are manifest, as for instance, (Allah, the Ever-Living, He, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists) and some are implicit as for instance, (with Him, with His Permission, of His Knowledge). Hence, Ayatul-kursi is considered a great and lofty Ayah.

4. When was this verse descended? • It descended at night. • When this verse descended, all the idols of the world fell down and collapsed. • Also, all the kings fell down and the crowns in this world fell over their heads. • Moreover, Satans escaped.

5. Why is this verse called Ayatul-Kursi? • This verse denotes its loftiness and refers to the Oneness of the Worship of Allah and Monotheism. A true believer should take pride in this verse. • Allah Glorified and Exalted be He, exalted this verse as His Glorified Name “Allah” has been mentioned in the beginning (hence, gave it glory and exaltation) and at the end (the Most High, the Most Great) (hence, gave it loftiness and greatness). • Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, exalted this verse and everyone adheres thereto. Anyone who protects and preserves it will be protected and preserved. This verse raises anyone who studies it to the highest ranks. • Al-Kursi is the base of ruling and it is the symbol of Sovereignty.

6. What Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said about it? • “By Him in Whose Hands my soul lies, it (i.e Ayatul-Kursi) has a tongue and two lips that sanctify the Sovereign at the Throne’s leg”. • Everything has a zenith, and the zenith of the Qur’an is Surat al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow). It includes a verse which is the master of all the Qu’ranic verses, that is, Ayatul-kursi”.

7. Do you know the virtue of Ayatul-Kursi? Allah revealed this verse and gives its reward to the believer who recites it sooner or later.

8. Regarding the reward that will be given to the believer who recites it "sooner" • If he/she recites it in the four corners of one’s house, it will protect him/her from devils and it will guard the house. • If anyone recites it in his house before one travels, the house will be safe from robbery or any bad thing. • If anyone recites it at night, the devil will get out of one’s house and never enters it till daybreak. • If anyone recites it to bless his/her house and his/her neighboring houses, all these houses will be safe.

9. It benefits who recites it • In bed before sleeping for the purpose of blessing himself/herself and his/her kids. Allah protects them and Satan couldn’t approach till they wake up. Moreover, it protects them from nightmares. • In the morning before going out of the house and says “Ya Hafeez” (oh our Ever-Preserver) thrice, he/she will be safe till he/she comes back. • By day or night for any number of times (with three times at minimum), it is considered a treatment and protection from all diseases and pains. Moreover, it also relieves from sadness and grieves and protects the body, money and children.

10. Regarding the reward that will be given to the believer who recites it "later" • He/she will be rewarded as if he fought with Allah’s messengers till he/she dies as martyr. • Allah gives him/her the reward of messengers and righteous people. • Allah gives him/her more than he gives the thankful. • Allah spreads his mercy out onto the believer who recites it. • Nothing will hinder him/her from entering paradise save except the advent of the Angel of Death.

11. ﴾Allah﴿ • It is the mightiest of all Allah’s names and comprises all the divine attributes. • All the other divine names are descriptive of this mighty name (and to Allah the most beautiful names are ascribed). • Nobody can be called by this name but Allah. • None has the right to be worshipped but Allah as He is worshipped by all His creations. • That’s why it is the greatest name and the most frequently used in the Noble Qur’an (the name ‘Allah’ is mentioned 1745 times in the Noble Qur’an).

12. ﴾La ilaha illa Huwa﴿ (none has the right to be worshipped but He) • It is a heart’s testimony of pure monotheism from us as it shouldn’t be uttered by tongues only. • Allah had sent all the prophets (peace be upon them all) with the message of monotheism. • Negation came at first to free ourselves from atheism and polytheism, purify our hearts from all bad things to put Allah’s orders in our hearts on right clear basis. • Every movement or deed in life leads to earth population is regarded as an act of worship, deeply-rooted faith strengthens the Muslim’s sayings and deeds so that his faith will never be shaked by the vicissitudes of life. Continued…

13. ﴾La ilaha illa Huwa﴿ (none has the right to be worshipped but He) • Yunus (Jonah) cried in the inside of the big fish saying: ‘La ilaha illa Anta (none has the right to be worshipped but You {O, Allah}, Glorified (and Exalted) be you (above all that {evil} they associate with You)! Truly, I have been of the wrong doers.’ So Allah answered his call and delivered him from the distress. • The testimony of Faith starts with: “None has the right to be worshipped” to negate the presence of other partners. No one has the right to be worshipped but Allah. • Then on uttering the testimony of faith, we prove the Oneness of Worship by saying: “..but He”, that is, “none has the right to be worshipped but He”. Continued…

14. ﴾La ilaha illa Huwa﴿ (none has the right to be worshipped but He) • Monotheism for the believer’s soul is like the two electric poles, the positive and negative one. When we say: “has the right to be worshipped but He” is the positive pole. “None” and “but” are the two electric poles lying in the heart and make the spark of faith that lights the believer’s face. • When Allah’s light is put in the heart, after being purified, it will adhere thereto. • It is “the Straight Way” that protects the one who leads it and takes him/her away from any evil deed that incurs Allah’s Anger. This Straight Way brings him/her.

15. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: • “Faith comprises sixty-three to sixty-nine branches, the best is the profession of ‘La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)”. • “Anyone who has said “La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)” as his/her last words will enter Paradise”. Let’s, o believers, pray to Allah and say, ‘La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’ the profession of faith I reiterate to myself while I am sitting alone, ‘La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’ is a profession of faith I spent my lifetime saying it, ‘La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’is a profession of faith my sin will be forgiven therewith, La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’is a profession of faith I enter my grave therewith, La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’is a profession of faith I meet my Lord therewith,

16. ﴾The Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists﴿ • Allah is the Ever-Living whose existence is everlasting, anything other than Him dies and perishes. • The Arabic word ‘hai’ (that is living) is not defined. It is attributed to any animate object. It is worth mentioning that our lives are incomplete and interrupted by sleep or death. • On the other hand, the life of the Ever-Living is perfectly complete, never interrupted by sleep or death. Moreover, the whole universe derives its existence and life from Allah, the Ever-Living. Continued…

17. ﴾The Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists﴿ • As for the believer, he derives his life from faith. Integrity comprises leading a life replete with righteousness in this world. • Allah, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists, is the One Who disposes all the affairs of His sovereignty and Creations. • Allah, Exalted be He, is the One who sustains and provides His creations with means of subsistence. • Moreover, Allah disposes all the affairs of His slaves and all the means of guidance for His worshippers. Continued…

18. ﴾The Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists﴿ • Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) advised his daughter Fatma to say by day and night: ‘O (Allah), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists (Ya Hai Ya Qayuum)! With Your mercy I seek refuge! Make all my affairs better and never make me entrust my own affairs to myself, not even for a jiffy.” • All creatures will perish and die on Doomsday, even the Angel of death will perish and die too. Only Allah, the Ever-Living, is the One Who sustains and protects all that exists will exist. • The dwellers of Paradise’ happiness will augment for their immortality and eternal existence in Paradise. On the other hand, the dwellers of Hell’s sorrow and misery will augment for their immortality and eternal existence in Hell! Continued…

19. ﴾The Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all the exists﴿ • The two most beautiful names of Allah (Al-Hai) and (Al-Qayuum) is the sorrowful call for help, and the aid of the drowned and the feeble’s victory. It is the supplication of the people of the sea. • Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) used to say on going to bed, “O, Allah, in Your Name I live and die”. Moreover, he used to say on entering upon the morning, “All praises and thanks to Allah who endowed us with life after making us die and to Him we will be resurrected”.

20. ﴾ Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him ﴿ • No slumber could overtake Him, as Allah negates that slumber could ever overtake Him. • Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him: Allah, Exalted be He, sustains all the affairs of heavens and earth and if this has not been the case, the whole universe would have collapsed. • Sleeping is necessary for the human being’s relaxation. It is regarded as the minor death. The sleeper’s body temperature decreases for its rest and tranquility. • The human being sleeps yet his heart does not, he goes on breathing, his digestive system does not stop. It is Allah Who supervises all these systems as He is never overtaken by sleep. Continued…

21. ﴾ Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him ﴿ • It is as if the Creator says to His creations that they could sleep soundly and be relieved as their Lord neither slumber nor sleep would ever overtake their Creator. • Sleeping is one of Allah’s secrets, as it takes human beings from the real world to another world in which souls meet each other. Souls agree with the pure souls and disagree with others. • It was said that Jebril appeared to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in his sleep for 6 months before his real appearance to him in his wakefulness. • Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said: “The good dream seen by the good man is one part of 46 parts of prophecy”.

22. ﴾To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth ﴿ • This means that He is the Only One Who possesses all that in the heavens and earth without any partner. • “Whatever is in the heavens” refers to the angels and Allah possesses all what is predestined in the heavens for the dwellers on earth. • Allah disposes the sun, moon and all the planets as He is the Only One Who disposes with all this universe. • The ‘heavens’ are mentioned before ‘earth’ because in heavens all the earth’s affairs are disposed. • “…whatever is on earth..” means that to Allah all things belong and He appointed us as successors in them according to His will. We are entrusted with all these things. Continued…

23. ﴾To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth ﴿ • All creatures are His slaves and are subjugated to His Sovereignty. • All creatures testify to Allah’s loftiness and magnificence and thank him. The earth testifies to those who prostrate to Allah on it, and heaven testifies to those who pray and turn their heads thereto and recite the noble Qur’an at dawn, and they testify and bear witness on Doomsday. All creations will also testify and expose the bad deeds of atheists and criminals. • As Allah is the Creator of the Universe, we feel secure and become convinced that everything around us is settled. The glory and magnificence of Allah, Exalted be He, lurk in our hearts. Continued…

24. ﴾To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth ﴿ • To Allah, the Great Sovereign, the body prostrates and the soul submit as we possess nothing in ourselves. • The believer is dead sure that everything belongs to Allah, if he/she loses anything, he/she forbears and accepts what happens, as only Allah gives and takes.

25. ﴾Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? ﴿ • “Who is he” denotes the impossibility of anyone’s ability to intercede with Him without His permission. The intercession will take place by virtue of Allah’s mercy. • “Intercede with Him except with His Permission” denotes that the one who intercedes should be endeared to Allah so that he will be permitted to intercede anyone of Allah’s creations. Intercession is not a right but a grant to be denoted by Allah. • The polytheists said (according to Surat Az-zumar), “We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.” verily Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever. Continued…

26. ﴾Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? ﴿ • Every prophet has an answered and acceptable prayer. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) did not pray for his people as he saved it to his Ummah as an intercession on doomsday. • Allah granted prophet Muhammed (PBUH) the highest intercession and the praised rank place on doomsday, the day on which nothing is useful neither money nor children.

27. Kinds of Intercession • The intercession of Prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) for some people who were still alive as he brought glad tidings to them that they will enter Heaven on the doomsday. These were the Promised with Heaven. • The Qur’an's intercession for the Muslim in Heaven. If the believer recites the Qur’anic verse, he/she will be elevated and raised a rank in heaven so that his/her rank will accord with the last verse he/she recited in this world. • Monotheism’s testimony (La ilaha illa Allah) (none has the right to be worshipped but He) intercedes for those who say it faithfully and sincerely. Allah likes this testimony and the one who articulates it. He is not pleased to have this resplendent profession burnt in hell with the one who uttered it. Continued…

28. Kinds of Intercession • Signs of prostration on the believer’s face will intercede for him/her on doomsday as Allah forbade that hellfire burn signs of prostration that appears on his/her face. • Angels pray for people and ask Allah to forgive those who pray regularly. Their prayer might be accepted or refused. The same applied to intercession that is only accepted through His permission. • The Prophet’s intercession on Doomsday before people are taken to Paradise and Hell. • The prophet’s intercession for the Dwellers of Hell. Those entered Hell and were freed from it by virtue of his intercession. Continued…

29. Kinds of Intercession • Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said: “The most blessed person with my intercession on Doomsday is the one who said ‘La ilaha ila Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)’ sincerely from himself. • Allah, Exalted be He, swore by the even and the odd in Surat Al-Fajr as Allah says: ‘And by the even and the odd (of all the creations of Allah)’. Allah is the Odd One Who needs no one as He is the One and Only. Anything other tan Him is even that needs another thing. Any animate creature, whether male of female, is even. The feeble needs the strong to exist and the strong needs the feeble to give it aid. • The Prophet was aware that Allah likes the odd so he used to wind up his night prayers with one rakaa so that he could wind up his day professing monotheism.

30. ﴾He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter﴿ • ‘He knows what happens to them’: Allah knows the present of the intercessor and the interceded. • ‘…and what will happen to them in the hereafter’: Allah knows their future. • Allah is the All-Knower Whose knowledge encompasses everything, the apparent and the hidden of it. • Knowledge is an eternal characteristic that reveals facts and realities. • Knowledge should be boosted with wisdom. Continued…

31. ﴾He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter﴿ • Allah knows what existed and exists and the Unseen. Nothing whatsoever escapes His Knowledge, as He knows what is in wombs, when rain will fall, what every soul gains and where it will die. • The most sacred knowledge is that related to Allah, His names and epithets. If you want to have a big share of divine knowledge, you should obey Allah and find the pious to learn from them. • Allah, Exalted be He, has all the keys to the Unseen, and He let no one of His creations know of the unseen save those He selects from mankind.

32. ﴾And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills﴿ • Allah defies all creatures. If all creatures gather, they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills. • The human being can not compass Allah’s knowledge and omnipotence because it means complete knowledge. • Everything discovered by the human mentality was one of Allah’s secrets. Then Allah permitted the secret to be revealed so we came to know it. • No one knows the unseen save Allah. This negates that the angels, jinn, mankind and prophets know the unseen. • The Noble Qur’an mentioned Doomsday, paradise, hell all of which are unseen. The believer will not be deemed perfectly believing unless he/she believes in the unseen.

33. ﴾His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth﴿ • Kursi: literally a footstool or a chair, and sometimes wrongly translated as Throne. • The Kuri mentioned in this verse should be distinguished from ‘Arsh (Throne). Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said: “The Kursi compared to the ‘Arsh is nothing but like a ring thrown out upon open space of the desert’. If the Kursi extends over the entire universe, then how much greater is the ‘Arsh. Indeed Allah the Creator of both the Kursi and the ‘Arsh, is the Most Great. Continued…

34. ﴾His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth﴿ Ibn Taimiyah said: • If the heavens and earth are put in the kursi, they will be like ring thrown out upon open space of the desert. • “Kursi” denotes ‘sitting thereon after everything is settled’. The kursi denotes sovereignty, subduing power and omnipotence. • Allah, Exalted be He, created the Throne and Kursi from His light. The Kursi is placed under the throne. • Allah, Exalted be He, possesses everything in the heavens and earth and His knowledge is more encompassing than anything, even earth and heavens. • Everything in heavens and earth prostrate to Allah, Exalted be He. • The heavens and earth can not encompass Allah’s love and inclusive knowledge, yet the heart of His believing servant could.

35. ﴾He feels no fatigue in guarding and preventing them ﴿ • “He feels no fatigue” means that nothing whatsoever can make Him feel fatigue. The preservation of heavens and earth will by no means make Him feel fatigue. Moreover, Allah preserves all the creations of heavens and earth by providing them with means of subsistence. • As the Kursi does not find the preservation of heavens and earth too heavy for it to maintain, the Lord of the Kursi’s omnipotent power is great. • As Allah is the One Who sustains and protects all that exists, then He preserves heavens and earth eternally just as His existence is eternal. • Satan whispers evil in the hearts of men and whispers evil insinuations in men’s minds (that represent the heaven of men). So if Satan manages to distort that heaven (minds) then the whole body (the part that represents earth) will be distorted. Continued…

36. ﴾He feels no fatigue in guarding and preventing them ﴿ • Ayatul – Kursi includes meteors to be articulated by the Muslim and darted at every cursed Satan. • The believer learns Ayatul-Kursi by heart and preserves it deep down so that Allah preserves him therewith in his sleep and wakefulness. • Allah, Exalted be He, preserves heaven with the Balance, and preserves earth with mountains and preserves the Noble Qur’an in the Preserved Tablet. • Allah preserves dwellers of heaven (angels) by providing them with light which is their means of subsistence and in their glorification of Allah their eternal existence lies. • Allah preserves the dwellers of earth by giving them food and water, keeps their souls with prayers and acts of worship. • Allah keeps and preserves the pious’ hearts from changing, fear and sadness when they face ordeals or hardships.

37. ﴾And He is the Most High, the Most Great﴿ • Who humbles himself to Allah will be dignified by Him. And who feels arrogant will be humiliated by Allah. • Allah is the Most High, Who is far above everything other than Him and His power, subduing omnipotence, grants and generosity. • Allah is the Great, the Most High, He endows all without ever getting anything from anyone save praises and tanks. • Also His greatness appears when he gives both the disbeliever and believer with means of subsistence because His mercy encompasses both of them in this world.

38. Brothers in Islam Who wants to be exalted and dignified should adhere to Ayatul – Kursi as it is the only means of salvation and firmest bond. Who adheres to it will be saved and raised to the highest rank as Allah, Exalted be He, raises it to the highest status and exalted those who adhere to it. O Allah, the Most Merciful of all merciful, May You guard and protect us by the nobility and graces of Your Noble Qur’an and Ayatul-Kursi.

39. Pray for everyone shares us with An idea, word, effort and support O Allah! Keeps us with Quran and with Ayatul – Kursim the most merciful. (رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ)