Tafseer Aayatul-Kursi

Author: The Eminent Qur’anic Sciences Scholar: Imaam Abdur Rahman As Sa’dee (rahimahuAllah)

Source: Tayseer Al-Kareem

Ar-Rahmaan and his commentary on Al-Aqeedah Al-Waasitiyyah

Compiled and Translated: Zaid Lites

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah send peace and blessings upon him) informed us that the following verse- Aayatul-Kursi- is the greatest verse of the Qur’an, due to the splendid meanings it comprises of:  The many attributes of Allah, The Exalted Inventor  of all things  (Al Baaree Ta’aala). Tawheed: completely singling out Allah, alone, without any partners, in all acts of worship.  Allah says: 


Allah-there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, “Al-Hayy”:  The Ever-Living, “Al-Qayyoom”:  The Sustainer of all existence.  Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.  To Him belongs whatever is in the  heavens and whatever is on earth.  Who is it that can intercede with Him, except by His permission?!  He knows what lies ahead of them  and what is behind them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge, except for that which He wills.  His kursi extends over the heavens and earth, and their preservation does not tire Him.  And He is The Most High, The Most Great.  [al-Baqarah, 2:255]

In this verse, Allah informs us that He is  “Allah”:  Meaning, The One to whom belongs worship, in all its senses.  None deserves divinity nor to be worshiped except Him.  Therefore, deifying and worshipping other than Allah is futile and absurd. He is “Al-Hayy” :  The Ever-Living :  To whom belongs all of the qualities of perfect life; including perfection in hearing, vision, ability, will, might, knowledge, wisdom, mercy, and other  proper attributes relating to His essence. He is  “Al-Qayyoom”:  The Sustainer, Who is independent and free of any need of His creation.  He sustains all of existence.  He originated everything into existence, maintained and provided everything with sustenance, and all the necessities for existence and survival.  Allah’s name:   “Al-Hayy” indicates all of Allah’s attributes relating to His essence, while, “Al-Qayyoom” entails all of His attributes describing His actions. Thus, all of His lofty attributes refer back to these two beautiful names. Hence, it is narrated that “Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyoom” is the greatest name, which if Allah is invoked by, He answers, and if requested by, He grants.   Due to His perfect qualities of life and sustainment, “Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.” Drowsiness and sleep only occur in the creation, which experiences weakness, exhaustion, and inability, and does not apply to the One of magnificence, greatness, and splendor!   He informs us that He is The Owner of everything that is within the heavens and earth.  So everything is a possessed slave of Allah.  None can depart from this state.

“There is none in the heavens and earth, except that it comes to the Most Merciful as a slave.”  [Maryam, 19:93]So He is The Owner of all sovereignties.  And He is The One, to whom belongs the attributes of dominion, authority, reign, majesty, and management of universal affairs.  Through His supreme rule and authority; none can intercede with Him, except by His permission.  All of the notable and distinguished interceders are slaves belonging to Him. None can proceed with intercession, until He permits them:

“Say:  To Allah belongs all intercession.  To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth…” [Az-Zumar, 39:44] Allah does not allow anyone to intercede, except intercession for one He is pleased with.  And Allah is not pleased, except with the implementation of: o Tawheed:  completely singling out Allah, alone, without any partners, in all acts of worship.  o Following all of His Messengers. Therefore, whomsoever this does not apply to is not entitled any share of intercession.  Allah has negated intercession for those who worship others besides Him.  They seek intercession from others besides Allah, and without His permission. Their intercession is futile. Then Allah informs us of His unlimited, all-encompassing knowledge.  He knows what awaits the creation of infinite future events, as well as “what is   behind them”, of unlimited past affairs.  No concealed thing is hidden from Him:

“He knows that which deceives the eyes and what the breast conceal.”   [Ghaafir, 40:19] None of the creation can encompass anything of Allah’s knowledge and information, “except for what He wills”, i.e., what He has disclosed to them, by different means, including prescribed and legislative affairs.  Yet, this in its entirety, still amounts to nothing, with respect to the knowledge and information of The Inventor (Allah).  This is affirmed by the most knowledgeable of Allah, amongst His creation; the messengers and angels.  They said (as Allah has informed us):

“Exalted are You!  We have no knowledge, except what You have taught us.” [al-Baqarah, 2:32] Allah then informs us of His greatness and magnificence, and that “His kursi extends over the heavens and earth”, and that He maintains the heavens and earth, and all of its inhabitants, by means of causation and universal orders, which He has placed in the creation.  This describes Allah’s grace upon His creation:  He has created the heavens and earth for them, and everything within it, as well as maintained it and preserved it from destruction.  He has governed it by an amazing system of universal laws, having countless benefits.  All of this, while; “its preservation does not tire or burden Him”, due to the perfection of His greatness, ability, and His abundant wisdom in His ordinances.

“And He is The Most High” He is the absolute Most High, in all senses:  The Most High in His essence; above all of His creation, having risen over the Throne.  The Most High by the exaltedness and greatness of His attributes and status:  To Him belongs every perfect attribute of excellence.  The Most High by His subjugation of the creation:   All of existence submits to Him.  Even the stubborn and obstinate are subdued to His subjugation. And He is “The Most Great”: He is the possessor of all the qualities of greatness, magnificence, nobility, and splendor:  The One whom the hearts love, and the souls glorify.  The hearts of His prophets, angels, and allies are in complete glorification of His Majesty.  There is none greater than Him!  Those of knowledge and acquaintance recognize that the greatness of anything and everything, even if it surpassed eminence and was considered indescribable, is still nothing compared to the greatness of The Most High, Most Great! Clearly, this verse, which is comprised of such extraordinary meanings, entitles it to be the greatest verse of the Qur’an.  The heart of one who reads it in contemplation and reflection- while comprehending its meanings- deserves to be filled with certainty, acknowledgement, and Eemaan (Faith).  Furthermore, by that, he/she will be safeguarded from the evil of Satan.

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Recitation of Ayatul Kursi

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Some Ahadeeth Pertaining Ayatul Kursi

When you lie down in your bed, recite ayat al-Kursi, Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists… [al-Baraqah 2:255] until the end of the ayah, then you will have a protector from Allah and no shaytan (devil) will come near you until morning comes.

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

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Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated; In Surah al-Baqaraah there is an ayah which is the best of all the ayahs of the Qur’an. It is never recited in a house but the Shaytan leaves: Ayat al-Kursi.

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Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Qur’an is Surah al-Baqarah. In it there is an ayah which is the greatest in the Qur’an: Ayat al-Kursi.

[at-Tirmidhi]

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The Greatest Thing

Abu Dhar said; O Messenger of Allah, what is the greatest thing that has been revealed to you?’ He said, Ayat al-Kursi, ‘Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa’
[an-Nasa’i]

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Virtues of Ayatul Kursi

اللّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَاء وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that 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 Footstool 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.

One of the greatest gifts that we have been given by Allah [SWT] is that of Ayatul Kursi (the Verse of the Footstool). It is verse 255 in Surah Baqarah (2). Here are some of it’s virtues:

A Guarantee of Paradise
“The one who recites it after each of the obligatory prayers, then death will be the only thing [i.e. barrier] preventing him from entering al-Jannah.” [1]

The Prophet described it as the greatest ayah in the Quran. [2]
In it the Most Great Name of Allah (ismullahi al-’atham) is mentioned. [3]
It protects from the shayatin (devils). [4]

The believer who recites it following an obligatory salah is under the Care and Protection of Allah until the commencement of the next prayer. [5]

It is the only place in the Quran where the Kursi (Footstool of Allah) is mentioned.

Footnotes
[1]The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] said: “Whoever recites Ayatul Kursi immediately after each prescribed (obligatory) prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.”
[Reported by An-Nasa’i and Ibn Hibban]

[2]Ubayy bin Ka’b [RA] reported:
The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] said, “Abu Mundhir (Ubayy bin Ka’b)! Do you know which Ayah in Allah’s Book is the greatest?

I said, “Allah and His messenger know best.”

He [SAWS] again said, “Do you know which Ayah in Allah’s Book, according to you, is the greatest?”

I (Abu Mundhir) replied, “It is ‘Allah la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum’ [2:255]“.

Thereupon he [SAWS] patted me in the chest and said, “Rejoice by your knowledge, O Abu Mundhir! (i.e, may this knowledge be a source of respect, honour and benefit to you).”
[Muslim]

[3]Asma’ bint Yazid (radiAllahu anhu) reported:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say about these two following Ayahs, i.e, verses: “Allah! There is no god but He – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. [2:255], And, Alif Lam Mim, Allah! There is no god but He – the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal [3:1-2], That they contain Allah’s Greatest Name.”
[Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in his Musnad]

[4] and [5] : http://www.islaam.net/main/display.php?id=615&category=4

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