Ayatul Kursi

Ayatul Kursi in Arabic

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

Transliteration

Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa, al-ḥayyu al-qayyūm. Lā ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fī al-samāwāti wa mā fī al-arḍ. Man dhā alladhī yashfa‘u ‘indahu illā bi-idhnih. Ya‘lamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum, wa lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shay’in min ‘ilmihi illā bi-mā shā’. Wasi‘a kursiyyuhu al-samāwāti wa al-arḍ, wa lā ya’ūduhu ḥifẓuhumā, wa huwa al-‘aliyyu al-‘aẓīm.

English translation

Allah. There is no god except Him. The Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. 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 before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Meaning, in plain words

Ayatul Kursi is a compact statement about who Allah is. It moves through six ideas:

1. Oneness: There is no god except Him.
2. Life and sustaining power: He is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.
3. Freedom from need: Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.
4. Absolute ownership: To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth.
5. Perfect knowledge and no unauthorised intercession: No one intercedes except by His permission; His knowledge encompasses everything.
6. Boundless throne, effortless preservation: His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them tires Him not.

When to recite Ayatul Kursi

• After every prescribed prayer, once.
• Before sleep, once. The Prophet promised protection from Shaytan until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).
• In the morning and evening adhkar.
• When you feel fear, worry, or need protection.

Reported benefits

• Entry to Paradise: If recited after every prescribed prayer, per the hadith above.
• Protection through the night: Read before sleep.
• Guarding a home: Traditional daily practice for protecting the household from unseen harm.
• Focused remembrance: A short verse dense enough to reshape attention when repeated.

Ayatul Kursi line by line

The verse divides into ten clauses. Each row gives the Arabic phrase, how it is pronounced, and what it says, so you can follow the meaning while you recite rather than reading a translation separately.

Frequently asked