Supplication 1: Ayatul Kursi

اللهُ لَا إِلٰهَ 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

“Allah: there is none worthy of worship but Him, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. 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 footstool extends over the heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both. He is the Most High, the Tremendous”

Surah Al-Baqarah [2:255]

 

Brief Commentary

  • This verse is called ayatul kursi, and is included in the morning and evening supplications as the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) confirmed that if you say it in the morning, you are protected from shaytan/jinn until the evening, and if you say it in the evening, you are protected from them until the morning [1]
  • This verse is the greatest verse in the Qur’an [2]
  • The prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever recites ayatul kursi [2:255] at the end of every salah, nothing stands between him and entering Jannah except death” [3]
  • The verse begins by affirming that Allah is the sole being that deserves to be worshipped
  • It then describes Allah as the “Ever living”. He has all the attributes of life in the most complete form e.g. hearing, seeing, knowing, ability etc.
  • The subsequent phrase can be seen as an explanation of the resulting effect of Allah being the “Ever living”, in that He is “the One Who sustains and protects all that exists”, therefore everything within the heavens and the earth is dependent on Allah and needs Him to sustain their existence as He is the One Who looks after all of their affairs
  • To provide us comfort after knowing that Allah sustains everything, He affirms that “neither slumber, nor sleep overtakes Him” therefore there is no need to worry with regards to the heavens and planets falling on us, or to worry that you may need Him at a time but He is not available
  • The affirmation that “All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him”, grants a believer solace that whatever they need belongs to Allah, therefore they know who to truly turn to for all their needs
  • Allah’s knowledge is not just limited to the present, it also encompasses the past, and extends to the future, therefore a believer should be content with whatever is decreed for him as it was decreed by the One Who knows how things will develop in the future
  • All the technological advancements that we see now are only due to Allah granting us the permission to encompass this knowledge, so the praise is due to Allah first
  • To get an idea of the greatness of Allah, we are told that “His footstool extends over the heavens and the earth” therefore it is bigger than them. In addition to that, the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “The heavens (universe) in comparison to the footstool are but like a ring in an empty desert, and the example of the footstool in comparison to the throne of Allah is like this ring in the empty desert” [4]
  • If the throne is this great, and Allah Has created it and is bigger than His creation, then how great is Allah!
  • By knowing this, it is then no surprise that “it does not weary Him to preserve them both” as the heavens and the earth are insignificant in size to Him
  • All is the “Most High” from many angles:
    • He is the Most High in terms of location as He is above the throne
    • He is the Most High in status for none is more Honourable than Him
    • He is the Most High in ability for none has any control over Him, and He has the utmost control over everything and everyone
  • The last word in the verse, “Tremendous” is a perfect summary of the verse as the whole verse is describing the greatness of Allah

Benefits & Action Points

  • A great portion of the morning and evening supplications revolves around asking Allah for protection, so by reciting this verse, a person begins to appreciate the greatness of Allah, and therefore is more attentive and optimistic when reciting the remainder of the supplication
  • By knowing that everything belongs to Allah, a believer should ensure that they only use it in a way that it’s Master allows it to be used, including their own body parts which belong to Allah
  • Ensure you memorise this verse and recite it every morning and evening, and after every obligatory prayer as it’s benefits are tremendous

 

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  1. Hadith, reported by Al-Hakim 1/562, Al-Albani graded it as authentic in Sahihut-Targhib wat-Tarhib 1/273,
  2. Hadith, reported in Sahih Muslim, hadith number 810
  3. Hadith, reported by Al-Nasaa’i in his book “Actions of the day and night”, hadith number 100
  4. Hadith, reported by Ibn Hibban, hadith number 361, Al-Albani graded it as authentic in Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, hadith number 109
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