Introduction
Alhamdulillah… Infinite thanks and praises are due to the Almighty Allah, who descended Ayatul-Kursi and made it the greatest verse in the Qur’an. Complete blessings and salutations are upon whom Ayatul-Kursi was descended, Sayyidunā Muḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path.
It’s given; whether we know or not, that anything that is attached to the Qur’an is significant, blessed, and beneficial. What more when it’s a verse in the Qur’an itself. More so when it’s the greatest verse in the Qur’an.
In a 2013 article, Simple Du’a for Protection, I indicated Ayatul-Kursi as one of the Muslim’s essential weapons for spiritual protection. This article, which you’re reading today presents some eight specific recommended times for the Muslim to read Ayatul-Kursi. The article also gives a brief overview of Ayatul-Kursi along with a discussion on the significance of the verse.
So, let’s start with an overview of the verse and refresh our memory about its significance.
Ayatul-Kursi, The Greatest Verse in the Qur’an
Ayatul-Kursi (āyah al-kursiyy) means the verse of the throne. It’s called such because there’s a mention of the Mighty Throne (kursiyy) of Allah in the verse.
Ayatul-Kursi is verse number 255 in Surah al-Baqarah. You may be surprised to know, that there’s no evidence on the occasion for which Ayatul-Kursi was descended. However, the verse emphasizes the concept of the oneness of Allah (tawḥīd). Upon contemplating on its meaning, every phrase in it either indicates one of the most beautiful names and attributes of Allah or illustrates His power over all things. So, get ready to strengthen your belief in the oneness of Allah, subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā as we embark on the journey of Ayatul-Kursi.
Since you’ve read my previous article, 7 Reasons You Must Start Reading Surah Al-Baqarah Right Away, I believe you remember that we arrived at the conclusion that Ayatul-Kursi is the greatest verse in the Qur’an. This is based on the ḥadith reported by Imām al-Tirmidhī from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:
لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَنَامٌ وَإِنَّ سَنَامَ الْقُرْآنِ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ وَفِيهَا آيَةٌ هِيَ سَيِّدَةُ آىِ الْقُرْآنِ هِيَ آيَةُ الْكُرْسِيِّ
“For everything, there is a hump (pinnacle) and the hump (pinnacle) of the Qur’an is Surat Al-Baqarah, in it there is a verse (an Ayah) which is the master of the verses in the Qur’an. It is Ayatul-Kursi.”
In a ḥadīth reported by Imām Muslim, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam once asked Ubay ibn Ka‘b raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu if he knew which verse in the Qur’an is the greatest. Ubay replied that “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam repeated the question. So Ubay raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu said:
اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ
“Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal [Ayatul-Kursi]”
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam then struck Ubay on his breast and said:
وَاللَّهِ لِيَهْنِكَ الْعِلْمُ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ
“By Allah, May knowledge be pleasant for you, O Abū al-Mundhir!”
The entire Qur’an is a healing and mercy. This means you attain healing when you read the Qur’an. Moreover, Allah bestows His mercy upon you and grants you inner-peace and tranquility. However, reading some verses in some specific times and places has immediate and sometimes obvious effects. Ayatul-Kursi is one of those verses with such effects.
But there’s one problem I think I must inform you. And that is, you only reap those benefits of Ayatul-Kursi only when or after you read it in the prescribed times, as taught by The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. And this is what this article is guiding you through, inshā Allah. So, keep calm and continue reading.
The Text of “Ayatul-Kursi”
Below is the Arabic text of Ayatul-Kursi. It’s followed by a visualized version with audio.
اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Translation of the Meaning of “Ayatul-Kursi”
Following is the translation of the meaning of Ayatul-Kursi.
“Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows all that is before them and all that is behind them. They can grasp only that part of His knowledge, which He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their upholding does not weary Him. He is the Sublime, the Almighty One!”
Audio of Ayatul-Kursi
Below is a clip that contains audio of Ayatul-Kursi. I hope it helps in mastering reading and memorizing the verse.
Now, what are the recommended times for reading Ayatul-Kursi?
Recommended Times for Reading Ayatul-Kursi
Following are some eight recommended times, in which, as a Muslim, you should read Ayatul-Kursi. The more you are able to observe these times, the more the benefits you reap for yourself as well as for your ones. For one, it strengthens your faith and creed in the oneness of Allah. Achieving this narrows down your greater fear and directs it towards Allah alone. And two, it grants you protection against all forms of evil, and hides you from the sight of the Devil.
#1: After Obligatory Prayers
The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught us to recite Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer. This means it’s the Sunnah of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam to recite Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer. Furthermore, reading it after obligatory prayers qualifies you for easy access to Paradise, come the Day of Judgement.
This is understood from the ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Nasā’ī from the narration of Abū Umāmah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu in which the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:
مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَمُوتَ
“The only thing that prevents him who reads Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer from entering Paradise is that he dies.”
I believe you’ll agree with me, that this is one of the easiest among all. Simply because praying five times a day makes it easy. Right? So, let’s do it!
#2: In Bed: Before Sleeping
We all know that there’re various adhkār which we are encouraged to recite when we go to bed. That’s if we want to be divinely protected throughout our sleep. Ayatul-Kursi tops that list.
In a ḥadīth, Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu relates an incident when the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam put him in charge of the charity of Ramadan (Zakāh-al-Fiṭr). Then somebody came to him and started to take away some foodstuff. Abū Hurayrah caught him and said, “I must take you to the Prophet.” The man claimed, “I am a needy man with a large family, and so I have a pressing need.” Abū Hurayrah let him go.
The next morning when Abū Hurayrah met the Prophet, he asked him, “O Abū Hurairah! What did your captive do last night?” Abū Hurayrah said, “O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing need and a big family. I felt pity for him, so I let him go.” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “He told you a lie and he will return.”
Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu says “I was sure he would return because the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said so. So, I waited for him.”
True enough, the man turned up again and began to steal foodstuff from the charity. Abū Hurayrah caught him and said; “I must take you to the Prophet.” The man claimed again, “Let go of me, I am a needy man. I have to bear the expenses of a big family. I will not come back.” Again, Abū Hurayrah took pity on him and let him go.
And when he went to the Prophet at dawn, he asked him, “O Abū Hurayrah! What did your captive do last night?” Abū Hurayrah replied, “O Messenger of Allah! He complained of a pressing want and the burden of a big family. I took pity on him and so I let him go.” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “He told you a lie and he will return.”
According to Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, the man came again to steal the foodstuff. But this time around, he arrested him and said, “I must take you to the Prophet, and this is the last of three times. You promised that you would not come again but you did.”
The man said him, “Let go of me, I shall teach you some words with which Allah may benefit you.” Out of curiosity, Abū Hurayrah asked, “What are those words?” The man replied,
“When you go to bed, recite Ayatul-Kursi, for there will be a guardian appointed over you from Allah, and Satan will not be able to approach you till morning.”
Upon hearing that, Abū Hurayrah let him go. The next morning the Prophet asked him, “What did your prisoner do last night.” He answered, “He promised to teach me some words which he claimed will benefit me before Allah. So, I let him go.” The Prophet asked, “What are those words that he taught you?” Abū Hurayrah said, “He told me:
“When you go to bed, recite Ayatul-Kursi from the beginning to the end.”
He added:
“By reciting it, there will be a guardian appointed over you from Allah who will protect you during the night, and Satan will not be able to come near you until morning.”
Upon hearing that, the Prophet ṣallā Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“Verily, he has told you the truth, though he is a liar. O Abū Hurayrah! Do you know with whom you were speaking for the last three nights?”
Abū Hurayrah replied with “No.” The Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam then said,
“He was Satan.”
I must record that, although it’s simple, reading adhkār before sleeping is one of the most difficult things to do. This is because we mostly go to bed half-asleep. Or we go to bed with our phones in our hands, and by the time we realize it’s the middle of the night or the next morning. I mean we doze off unprepared. Don’t you agree?
Tip:
In addition to reading Ayatu-Kursi, one of the sunnah you can observe when going to bed is to take your ablution before going to sleep. This will minimize the effects of your nightmares, should there be any.
#3 & 4: In the Morning
There’s an incident that happened during the time of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam which teaches us this. It occurred between Ubay ibn Ka’b raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu and an individual from the jinn.
‘Abdullāh ibn Ubay ibn Ka’b narrates that his father (Ubay) told him that he had a vessel in which he kept dates. He used to check on it and found that the number was decreasing.
So, he kept guard on it one night and saw a beast that looked like an adolescent boy. He said: “I greeted him with salam and he returned my greeting. Then I asked him, ‘What are you, a jinn or a human?’ He said, ‘A jinn.’ I said to him, ‘Show me your hand.’ So, he showed me his hand, and it looked like a dog’s paw with dog’s fur.
I said, ‘Do all the jinkind look like this?’ He said, ‘I know no one among the jinn who is stronger than I.’ I said, ‘What made you do what you did [i.e., taking the dates]?’ He said, ‘We heard that you are a man who loves charity, and we wanted to have some of your food.’” Ubay asked him, “What will protect us from you?” He said,
“This verse, Ayatul-Kursi. Whoever recites it in the evening is protected against us until the next morning, and whoever recites it in the morning, he’s protected against us until the next evening.”
Then the next day Ubay went to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and told him about what had happened, and he said,
“The evil one spoke the truth…”
Tip:
Morning time (before sunrise and during sunrise) and evening time (between ‘Asr and Maghrib) are the most crucial times in which the devils mostly disturb people or cast evil spirits on them. Many of us are busy, going to work or coming from work. So, be mindful of yourself and your kids during this time.
#5: For a Spiritually Disturbed Person
Ayatul-Kursi is one of the most effective spiritual remedies for spiritual sicknesses. In other words, Ayatul-Kursi is a powerful verse for treating ourselves as well as our loved ones or anyone who seeks treatment from us.
This is called ruqyah. Read more about Ruqyah here.
Tip:
Everyone can treat himself with the ruqyah. But not everyone can treat anyone. A person who doesn’t observe his daily prayers can treat himself and can be treated by someone else. But he can’t treat someone. If he does, he may end up been disturbed instead of curing others.
#6: For a Spiritually Disturbed Home
It’s given, that a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is often recited is protected and shielded against devils and sorcery attacks. And Ayatul-Kursi is, as you know, part of Surah al-Baqarah.
Here, I must add, that reading Surah al-Baqarah suffices reading Ayatul-Kursi in the house. Furthermore, in the event when no one reads Surah al-Baqarah in the house, then we should repeat reading Ayatul-Kursi. But we should take note, that reading Ayatul-Kursi alone doesn’t suffice the need to reading Surah al-Baqarah.
#7: In Your Nightmares
All the above instances where we are encouraged to recite Ayatul-Kursi come in during our conscious times. However, this is the only time, that you’ll find yourself doing it in your unconscious mind.
I believe you’ve, at least once, experienced a nightmare, in which you were chased or scared by monsters, beasts, scary creatures or being in a scary situation. And by the time you realized, you were reciting Ayatul-Kursi or some other verses or dhikr. But most of the time, Ayatul-Kursi comes first. True or false? True!
It’s worth indicating, that your ability to recite Ayatul-Kursi in situations like this, depends on how much attached you’re to it in your conscious mind and times.
Tip:
If you want to minimize your nightmares or eliminate them altogether, then make sure to master your du‘as before going to bed. Also don’t forget to take your ablution.
#8: Any Other Time
As far as spirituality emergency and protection are concerned, if a time comes and you need a verse for, then Ayatul Kursi is your must-go-to verse. Perhaps, this explains when you find yourself reading it automatically during your nightmares without being instructed to do so.
What if One Choose not Read Ayatul-Kursi?
If you have read to this point, then you may be wondering, “what if someone chooses not to read Ayatul-Kursi at all as recommended above?”
The answer is simple… As long as you don’t deny that Ayatul-Kursi is part of the Qur’an, then you are safe. This is as far as your faith is concerned. The rest is a matter of choice; the choice to read or not to read.
If you, rightly make the choice to read, you reap all the benefits discussed above and more.
In the event one makes the choice not to read Ayatul-Kursi, hopefully not, he doesn’t become less Muslim than anyone. But he becomes vulnerable to spiritual attacks. This is in addition to him depriving himself of the first benefit of reading Ayatul-Kursi after obligatory prayers.
The one who takes vitamins or supplements is not the same as him who doesn’t. Likewise, the wise who exercises regularly is not the same as the one who doesn’t. The same way, the one who reads Ayatul-Kursi, always or in the recommended times for reading it is never the same as the one who chooses not to and does not have permissible alternatives (should there be any).
Conclusion
When the Muslim upholds reading Surah al-Baqarah, Ayatul-Kursi or the Qur’an as a whole and embraces it genuinely, he genuinely reaps a lot of benefits. Many of these benefits are visible and many are invisible. Many can be shared with others, and many others can’t be shared with others.
In addition to all that, he consciously or subconsciously avoids sorcerers and fortune-tellers. And this is what happens when Allah strengthens your imān for you.
May Allah strengthen our faith through Ayatul-Kursi, and grant us all the benefits, those we know and those we don’t know, which can be reaped from reading Ayatul-Kursi. Āmīn!
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Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
Jazak Allah khayr