God: There is no god but He, the living, eternal, self-subsisting, ever sustaining. Neither does somnolence affect Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth: and who can intercede with Him except by His leave? Known to Him is all that is present before men and what is hidden (in time past and time future), and not even a little of His knowledge can they grasp except what He will. His seat extends over heavens and the earth, and He tires not protecting them: He alone is all high and supreme.
Allah – there is no God except Him; He is Alive (eternally, on His own) and the Upholder (keeps others established); He never feels drowsy nor does He sleep; to Him only belongs all whatever is in the heavens and all whatever is in the earth; who is he that can intercede* with Him except by His command? He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them; and they do not achieve anything of His knowledge except what He wills; His Throne (of Sovereignty) encompasses the heavens and the earth; and it is not difficult for Him to guard them; and He is the Supreme, the Greatest. (This Verse is popularly known as Ayat Al-Kursi. It has a special status and reciting it carries great reward. *Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him – will be the first one to be granted the permission to intercede, others will follow.)
God there is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His Throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-high, the All-glorious.
GOD - there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain]. His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. And he alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
Allah! There is no God but he, the Living, the Sustainer Slumber taketh hold of Him not, nor sleep. His is whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who is he that shall intercede With Him except with His leave! He knoweth that which was before them and that which shall he after them, and they encompass not aught of His knowledge save that which He willeth. His throne comprehendeth the heavens and the earth, and the guarding of the twain wearieth Him not. And He is the High, the Supreme.
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. 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 preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.]
God! There is no god except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they cannot grasp any of His knowledge, except as He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not burden Him. He is the Most High, the Great.
Allah: the Everlasting, the Sustainer of the whole Universe; there is no god but He. He does neither slumber nor sleep. Whatsoever is in the heavens and in the earth is His. Who is there that can intercede with Him except by His own permission.? He knows what is before the people and also what is hidden from them. And they cannot comprehend anything of His knowledge save whatever He Himself pleases to reveal. His Kingdom spreads over the heavens and the earth and the guarding of these does not weary Him. He alone is the Supreme and the Exalted.
Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the 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 preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
Allah—there is no god except Him—is the Living One, the All-sustainer. Neither drowsiness befalls Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that may intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He wishes. His seat embraces the heavens and the earth and He is not wearied by their preservation, and He is the All-exalted, the All-supreme.
Allah, there is no god except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither dozing, nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is he that shall intercede with Him except by His permission! He knows what will be before their hands and what was behind them, and they do not comprehend anything of His Knowledge except what He willed. His Seat embraces the heavens and the earth, and the preserving of them does not weary Him. He is the High, the Great.
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. 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 [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
God exists. There is no God but He, the Everlasting and the Guardian of life. Drowsiness or sleep do not seize him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede with Him for others except by His permission. He knows about people's present and past. No one can grasp anything from His knowledge besides what He has permitted them to grasp. The heavens and the earth are under His dominion. He does not experience fatigue in preserving them both. He is the Highest and the Greatest.
Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Everliving, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist; slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep; whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot comprehend anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases, His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not, and He is the Most High, the Great.
All<u>a</u>hu l<u>a</u> il<u>a</u>ha ill<u>a</u> huwa al<u>h</u>ayyu alqayyoomu l<u>a</u> takhu<u>th</u>uhu sinatun wal<u>a</u> nawmun lahu m<u>a</u> fee a<b>l</b>ssam<u>a</u>w<u>a</u>ti wam<u>a</u> fee alar<u>d</u>i man <u>tha</u> alla<u>th</u>ee yashfaAAu AAindahu ill<u>a</u> bii<u>th</u>nihi yaAAlamu m<u>a</u> bayna aydeehim wam<u>a</u> khalfahum wal<u>a</u> yu<u>h</u>ee<u>t</u>oona bishayin min AAilmihi ill<u>a</u> bim<u>a</u> sh<u>a</u>a wasiAAa kursiyyuhu a<b>l</b>ssam<u>a</u>w<u>a</u>ti wa<b>a</b>lar<u>d</u>a wal<u>a</u> yaooduhu <u>h</u>if<i><u>th</u></i>uhum<u>a</u> wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAa<i><u>th</u></i>eem<b>u</b>
God: there is no deity save Him, the Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belong whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who 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!
Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.
Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.
<p>The merits of Ayat-al Kursi</p><p>This is the greatest verse of the noble Qur'an. Ahadith carry statements featuring its wonderful merits and blessings. It appears in the Musnad of Ahmad that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that this verse is the most meritorious of all. According to another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked Sayyidna 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b ؓ 'Which is the greatest ayah (verse) of the Qur'an?' Sayyidna 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b ؓ said: "Ayah al-Kursi'. Approvingly, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: '0 Abu al-Mundhir, may Allah bless you in your knowledge'.</p><p>Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ ، asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ : '0 Messenger of Allah, which is the greatest ayah (verse) of the Qur'an?' He said : 'Ayah al-Kursi'. (Ibn Kathir from Ahmad in Al-Musnad).</p><p>Sayyidna Abu Hurayrah ؓ has reported the Holy Prophet ﷺ saying: 'There is a verse in Surah Al-Baqarah which is the Sayyidah سَیَدہ (the Chief) of the verses of the Qur'an. The Satan شیطان leaves the house where it is recited.'</p><p>According to a hadith in al-Nasai, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: If someone recites Ayah al-Kursi after every fard salah فرض نماز ، nothing stops him from entering Paradise except death.' It means that, immediately after death, this person will start witnessing the traces of Paradise and its comfort and tranquility.</p><p>This verse describes the Oneness of Allah's being and attributes in a unique manner – He s living, He hears and sees, He speaks, He is self-existent, He is eternal and everlasing, He is the innovator and creator of the entire universe, He is above changes and effects, He is the Master of the whole universe, He is so exalted in His majesty tht no one can speak before Him without His permission; He is the wielder of such absolute power that the tremendous function of creating the universe, sustaining it and making it work steadily, does not cause him to tire or relax. So all-encompassing is His knowledge that not the minutest possible atom or drop, open or hidden, could stay out of it. This is, in brief, the core sense of the verse. Now let us take up the meanings of its words in some details.</p><p>This verse has ten sentences. The first sentence is: اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ 'Allah: There is no god but He.' The word, (Allah) is like a proper noun for Allah's being. It means: 'the Being who combines all perfections and is free of all shortcomings.' 'There is no god but He' explains this Being. It says that there is absolutely nothing worth worshipping except this Being.</p><p>The second sentence الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ : The Alive, the All-Sustaining.' The word حَيُّ means 'the living' in Arabic. Out of the Divine names, the introduction of this word is to emphasize that He is Ever-living and Ever-lasting. He is above and beyond death. The word is derived from Qiyam قیام which means 'to stand' and ga'im قایم refers to 'one who stands.' The words, Qayyum قَيُّومُ and Qayyam قَيُّمُ are forms of exaggeration. They mean: 'one who himself stands firmly and keeps others sustained and supported, all simultaneously.' Qayyum قَيُّومُ is an attribute of Allah Almighty with which no created being can be associated, for what depends on others for its own existence and survival can hardly be expected to support something else. Therefore, a human being should not be called, 'Qayyum قَيُّومُ '. It is not permissible. People who corrupt the name, ` Abdul-Qayyum قَيُّومُ (the slave of the Qayyum قَيُّومُ ) by casually using just the second part -- Qayyum قَيُّومُ , commit a grave error resulting in their sinfulness.</p><p>The combination of Hayy حَيُّ and Qayyum قَيُّومُ from among the attributive names of Allah Almighty is الاسم الاعظم (al-ism al-a zam: the Great Name) according to several revered elders. Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ says: 'There was a time during the Battle of Badr when I wished I could see what the Holy Prophet	 ﷺ was doing. On arrival, I saw him in the state of sajdah, (the prescribed prostration) constantly saying, یاحَيُّ یاقَيُّومُ یاحَيُّ یاقَيُّومُ</p><p>The third sentence is لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ 'Neither doze overtakes Him nor sleep.' The word (سِنَةٌ: sinatun) denotes drowsiness which is the preliminary effect of coming sleep, while the word, نَوْم : nawm refers to full sleep. The sense of the sentence; is that Allah Almighty is above and beyond states of drowsiness or sleep. When the word, قَيُّومُ Qayyum, appearing in the previous sentence; told man that Allah is holding in perfect working unison the whole universe, which includes in itself, all skies and earths and all there is in them -- one could stray on to the idea, naturally so, in view of man's instinctive inquisitiveness, that the sacred 'Being' doing such a stupendous task must, at some time, feel tired, and need due moments of rest and sleep. In this second sentence of the text, man, who has limited knowledge and insight, and limited power, was warned that he should not measure Allah on his analogy or that of other created beings, never taking Him as similar to one's own self. He is above and beyond similarities and analogies. His power is absolutely perfect before which these doings are neither difficult nor tiresome and that His sacred being is above and beyond all sense-effects, weariness, exhaustion, drowsiness and sleep.</p><p>The fourth sentence is لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ : 'To Him belongs what is in the havens and what is in the earth.' The letter (lam ل ) appearing in the very beginning, has been used to denote ownership. Thus it means that everything on the earth or in the heavens is all owned by Allah Almighty. He is the authority, and may do whatever He deems fit with them.</p><p>The fifth sentence is مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ 'Who can intercede with Him without His permission?' Here are some points implied in this sentence:</p><p>To begin with, when Allah Almighty is the master-owner of the entire universe and there is no one above Him, certainly then, no one is entitled to question Him about anything He does. In the wake of a command that flows from Him, the option of saying why and wherefore does not exist for anyone. However, someone interceding on someone's behalf was possible. This too has now been made clear that no mortal could even dare breath in the most exalted Presence of Allah Almighty; but there are servants of Allah Almighty who have received the favour of His approval and acceptance and who would be specially allowed to speak and intercede. In short, recommendation or intercession, from anyone for anyone, will not be possible without Divine permission. It appears in Hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: On the day of resurrection, I shall be the first to intercede on behalf of all human communities'. This is called al-Maqam al-Mahmud المقام المحمود ، the praised station, which is one of the distinctions of our noble Prophet ﷺ .</p><p>The sixth sentence is: يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ : 'He.knows what is before them and what is behind them.' It means that Allah Almighty is aware of all the states and events surrounding them. 'Before' and 'after' may also mean that Allah Almighty is aware of all states and events before their birth and after their birth. It is also possible that 'before' refers to states and events that are open to men, and 'after' denotes states and events that are hidden. If so, it would mean that the human knowledge covers certain things and does not cover certain others. Some things are open before a human being and some are hidden. But, before Allah Almighty all these are equal. His knowledge encompasses all these things equally. Incidentally, there is no contradiction in these two senses, which are both included in the scope of the verse.</p><p>The seventh sentence is وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ :'And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills.' It means that man and the rest of the created beings cannot cover even a part of Allah's infinite knowledge except a certain part which Allah Almighty Himself allows to be given out of His knowledge. This is all one can know. Here it has been made clear that the all-encompassing knowledge of every particle in the universe is a particular attribute of none but Allah Almighty. No man, no created being can claim to have a share in it.</p><p>The eighth sentence is: وَسِعَ كُرْ‌سِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ :'His Kursi کرسی extends to the Heavens and to the Earth.' It means that His Kursi کرسی (translated as chair or base of power) is so magnified that its spatial infinity houses, within itself, the seven heavens and the earth. Allah Almighty is above and beyond sitting and standing and all spatial location and placement. Such verses should not be taken up on the analogy of our own states and affairs. The comprehension of the state of being, and the reality of His attributes, is above and beyond human reason. However, there are authentic narrations in ahadith which simply tell us that ` Arsh عرش (translated as 'throne', being a seat of authority) and Kursi (chair) are heavenly bodies many times larger than the heavens and the earth.</p><p>Ibn Kathir has reported from Sayyidnu Abu Dharr al-Ghifari ؓ that he asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to what the Kursi was and what did it look like. He said: 'By Allah, who is the master of my life, the seven heavens and the earth as compared with Kursi are like the small circle of a finger-ring lying on a huge plain.'</p><p>In some other narrations it has been stated that Kursi as compared to ` Arsh عرش (Throne) is also like the circle of a finger-ring on a huge plain.</p><p>The ninth sentence is: وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا :'And it does not weary Him to look after them.' It means that supporting the two magnificent creations of the heavens and the earth is not the least burdensome for Allah Almighty since doing so, with the perfect power of the Absolute Master, is easy.</p><p>The tenth and the last sentence is: وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ :'And He is the High, the Supreme.' It means that He is most exalted and great in majesty. In the previous nine sentences, the perfections of Allah's being and His attributes were stated. After having seen and understood these, every rational human being is bound to acknowledge that all honour, power and superiority belongs to none but the same Allah Almighty. To sum up, these ten sentences epitomize a description of Allah's Oneness and His perfections with clarity, and in detail.</p>
The merits of Ayat-al KursiThis is the greatest verse of the noble Qur'an. Ahadith carry statements featuring its wonderful merits and blessings. It appears in the Musnad of Ahmad that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that this verse is the most meritorious of all. According to another hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked Sayyidna 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b ؓ 'Which is the greatest ayah (verse) of the Qur'an?' Sayyidna 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b ؓ said: "Ayah al-Kursi'. Approvingly, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: '0 Abu al-Mundhir, may Allah bless you in your knowledge'.Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ ، asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ : '0 Messenger of Allah, which is the greatest ayah (verse) of the Qur'an?' He said : 'Ayah al-Kursi'. (Ibn Kathir from Ahmad in Al-Musnad).Sayyidna Abu Hurayrah ؓ has reported the Holy Prophet ﷺ saying: 'There is a verse in Surah Al-Baqarah which is the Sayyidah سَیَدہ (the Chief) of the verses of the Qur'an. The Satan شیطان leaves the house where it is recited.'According to a hadith in al-Nasai, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: If someone recites Ayah al-Kursi after every fard salah فرض نماز ، nothing stops him from entering Paradise except death.' It means that, immediately after death, this person will start witnessing the traces of Paradise and its comfort and tranquility.This verse describes the Oneness of Allah's being and attributes in a unique manner – He s living, He hears and sees, He speaks, He is self-existent, He is eternal and everlasing, He is the innovator and creator of the entire universe, He is above changes and effects, He is the Master of the whole universe, He is so exalted in His majesty tht no one can speak before Him without His permission; He is the wielder of such absolute power that the tremendous function of creating the universe, sustaining it and making it work steadily, does not cause him to tire or relax. So all-encompassing is His knowledge that not the minutest possible atom or drop, open or hidden, could stay out of it. This is, in brief, the core sense of the verse. Now let us take up the meanings of its words in some details.This verse has ten sentences. The first sentence is: اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ 'Allah: There is no god but He.' The word, (Allah) is like a proper noun for Allah's being. It means: 'the Being who combines all perfections and is free of all shortcomings.' 'There is no god but He' explains this Being. It says that there is absolutely nothing worth worshipping except this Being.The second sentence الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ : The Alive, the All-Sustaining.' The word حَيُّ means 'the living' in Arabic. Out of the Divine names, the introduction of this word is to emphasize that He is Ever-living and Ever-lasting. He is above and beyond death. The word is derived from Qiyam قیام which means 'to stand' and ga'im قایم refers to 'one who stands.' The words, Qayyum قَيُّومُ and Qayyam قَيُّمُ are forms of exaggeration. They mean: 'one who himself stands firmly and keeps others sustained and supported, all simultaneously.' Qayyum قَيُّومُ is an attribute of Allah Almighty with which no created being can be associated, for what depends on others for its own existence and survival can hardly be expected to support something else. Therefore, a human being should not be called, 'Qayyum قَيُّومُ '. It is not permissible. People who corrupt the name, ` Abdul-Qayyum قَيُّومُ (the slave of the Qayyum قَيُّومُ ) by casually using just the second part -- Qayyum قَيُّومُ , commit a grave error resulting in their sinfulness.The combination of Hayy حَيُّ and Qayyum قَيُّومُ from among the attributive names of Allah Almighty is الاسم الاعظم (al-ism al-a zam: the Great Name) according to several revered elders. Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ says: 'There was a time during the Battle of Badr when I wished I could see what the Holy Prophet	 ﷺ was doing. On arrival, I saw him in the state of sajdah, (the prescribed prostration) constantly saying, یاحَيُّ یاقَيُّومُ یاحَيُّ یاقَيُّومُThe third sentence is لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ 'Neither doze overtakes Him nor sleep.' The word (سِنَةٌ: sinatun) denotes drowsiness which is the preliminary effect of coming sleep, while the word, نَوْم : nawm refers to full sleep. The sense of the sentence; is that Allah Almighty is above and beyond states of drowsiness or sleep. When the word, قَيُّومُ Qayyum, appearing in the previous sentence; told man that Allah is holding in perfect working unison the whole universe, which includes in itself, all skies and earths and all there is in them -- one could stray on to the idea, naturally so, in view of man's instinctive inquisitiveness, that the sacred 'Being' doing such a stupendous task must, at some time, feel tired, and need due moments of rest and sleep. In this second sentence of the text, man, who has limited knowledge and insight, and limited power, was warned that he should not measure Allah on his analogy or that of other created beings, never taking Him as similar to one's own self. He is above and beyond similarities and analogies. His power is absolutely perfect before which these doings are neither difficult nor tiresome and that His sacred being is above and beyond all sense-effects, weariness, exhaustion, drowsiness and sleep.The fourth sentence is لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ : 'To Him belongs what is in the havens and what is in the earth.' The letter (lam ل ) appearing in the very beginning, has been used to denote ownership. Thus it means that everything on the earth or in the heavens is all owned by Allah Almighty. He is the authority, and may do whatever He deems fit with them.The fifth sentence is مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ 'Who can intercede with Him without His permission?' Here are some points implied in this sentence:To begin with, when Allah Almighty is the master-owner of the entire universe and there is no one above Him, certainly then, no one is entitled to question Him about anything He does. In the wake of a command that flows from Him, the option of saying why and wherefore does not exist for anyone. However, someone interceding on someone's behalf was possible. This too has now been made clear that no mortal could even dare breath in the most exalted Presence of Allah Almighty; but there are servants of Allah Almighty who have received the favour of His approval and acceptance and who would be specially allowed to speak and intercede. In short, recommendation or intercession, from anyone for anyone, will not be possible without Divine permission. It appears in Hadith that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: On the day of resurrection, I shall be the first to intercede on behalf of all human communities'. This is called al-Maqam al-Mahmud المقام المحمود ، the praised station, which is one of the distinctions of our noble Prophet ﷺ .The sixth sentence is: يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ : 'He.knows what is before them and what is behind them.' It means that Allah Almighty is aware of all the states and events surrounding them. 'Before' and 'after' may also mean that Allah Almighty is aware of all states and events before their birth and after their birth. It is also possible that 'before' refers to states and events that are open to men, and 'after' denotes states and events that are hidden. If so, it would mean that the human knowledge covers certain things and does not cover certain others. Some things are open before a human being and some are hidden. But, before Allah Almighty all these are equal. His knowledge encompasses all these things equally. Incidentally, there is no contradiction in these two senses, which are both included in the scope of the verse.The seventh sentence is وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ :'And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills.' It means that man and the rest of the created beings cannot cover even a part of Allah's infinite knowledge except a certain part which Allah Almighty Himself allows to be given out of His knowledge. This is all one can know. Here it has been made clear that the all-encompassing knowledge of every particle in the universe is a particular attribute of none but Allah Almighty. No man, no created being can claim to have a share in it.The eighth sentence is: وَسِعَ كُرْ‌سِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضَ :'His Kursi کرسی extends to the Heavens and to the Earth.' It means that His Kursi کرسی (translated as chair or base of power) is so magnified that its spatial infinity houses, within itself, the seven heavens and the earth. Allah Almighty is above and beyond sitting and standing and all spatial location and placement. Such verses should not be taken up on the analogy of our own states and affairs. The comprehension of the state of being, and the reality of His attributes, is above and beyond human reason. However, there are authentic narrations in ahadith which simply tell us that ` Arsh عرش (translated as 'throne', being a seat of authority) and Kursi (chair) are heavenly bodies many times larger than the heavens and the earth.Ibn Kathir has reported from Sayyidnu Abu Dharr al-Ghifari ؓ that he asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ as to what the Kursi was and what did it look like. He said: 'By Allah, who is the master of my life, the seven heavens and the earth as compared with Kursi are like the small circle of a finger-ring lying on a huge plain.'In some other narrations it has been stated that Kursi as compared to ` Arsh عرش (Throne) is also like the circle of a finger-ring on a huge plain.The ninth sentence is: وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا :'And it does not weary Him to look after them.' It means that supporting the two magnificent creations of the heavens and the earth is not the least burdensome for Allah Almighty since doing so, with the perfect power of the Absolute Master, is easy.The tenth and the last sentence is: وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ :'And He is the High, the Supreme.' It means that He is most exalted and great in majesty. In the previous nine sentences, the perfections of Allah's being and His attributes were stated. After having seen and understood these, every rational human being is bound to acknowledge that all honour, power and superiority belongs to none but the same Allah Almighty. To sum up, these ten sentences epitomize a description of Allah's Oneness and His perfections with clarity, and in detail.
<h2 class="title">The Virtue of Ayat Al-Kursi</h2><p>This is Ayat Al-Kursi and tremendous virtues have been associated with it, for the authentic Hadith describes it as `the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah.' Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubayy bin Ka`b said that the Prophet asked him about the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah, and `Ubayy answered, "Allah and His Messenger know better." When the Prophet repeated his question several times, `Ubayy said, "Ayat Al-Kursi." The Prophet commented, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«لِيَهْنِكَ الْعِلْمُ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، إِنَّ لَهَا لِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ، تُقَدِّسُ الْمَلِكَ عِنْدَ سَاقِ الْعَرْش»</div><p>(Congratulations for having knowledge, O Abu Al-Mundhir! By He in Whose Hand is my soul! This Ayah has a tongue and two lips with which she praises the King (Allah) next to the leg of the Throne.) </p><p>This Hadith was also collected by Muslim, but he did not include the part that starts with, "By He in Whose Hand..." </p><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ayyub said that he had some dates and a Ghoul used to take some, and he complained to the Prophet. The Prophet said to him, "When you see her, say, `In the Name of Allah, answer to the Messenger of Allah'." Abu Ayyub said that when she came again, he said these words and he was able to grab her. She begged, "I will not come again," so Abu Ayyub released her. Abu Ayyub went to the Prophet and the Prophet asked him, "What did your prisoner do" Abu Ayyub said, "I grabbed her and she said twice, `I will not come again,' and I released her." The Prophet said, "She will come back." Abu Ayyub said, "So I grabbed her twice or three times, yet each time I would release her when she vowed not to come back. I would go to the Prophet who would ask me, `What is the news of your prisoner' I would say, `I grabbed her, then released her when she said that she would not return.' The Prophet would say that she would return. Once, I grabbed her and she said, `Release me and I will teach you something to recite so that no harm touches you, that is, Ayat Al-Kursi.' Abu Ayyub went to the Prophet and told him, and the Prophet said, "She is liar, but she told the truth." At-Tirmidhi recorded this Hadith in the chapter of the virtues of the Qur'an and said, "Hasan Gharib." In Arabic, `Ghoul' refers to the Jinn when they appear at night. </p><p>Al-Bukhari recorded a similar story in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, in the chapters on the virtues of the Qur'an and the description of Shaytan. In this narration, Abu Hurayrah said, </p><p>"Allah's Messenger assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and started taking handfuls of foodstuff. I caught him and said, `By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.' I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah' I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' Allah's Messenger said, `Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed that he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger had told me that he would return. So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, `I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' Allah's Messenger said, `Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, `I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.' He said, `Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, `What are they' He replied, `Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger asked, `What did your prisoner do yesterday' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.' Allah's Messenger asked, `What are they' I replied, `He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, `He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah' Abu Hurayrah said, `No.' He said, `It was Shaytan."' An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah. </p><h2 class="title">Allah's Greatest Name is in Ayat Al-Kursi</h2><p>Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid bin As-Sakan said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say about these two Ayat, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ </div><p>(Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 2:255, and, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الم - اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ</div><p>(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 3:1-2, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ فِيهِمَا اسْمَ اللهِ الْأَعْظَم»</div><p>(They contain Allah's Greatest Name.) </p><p>This is also the narration collected by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih". </p><p>Further, Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«اسْمُ اللهِ الْأَعْظَمُ، الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ، فِي ثَلَاثٍ: سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ وَآلِ عِمْرَانَ وَطه»</div><p>(Allah's Greatest Name, if He was supplicated with it, He answers the supplication, is in three Surahs - Al-Baqarah, Al `Imran and Ta-Ha.) </p><p>Hisham bin `Ammar, the Khatib (orator) of Damascus (one of the narrators in the above narration), said, "As for Al-Baqarah, it is in, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ </div><p>(Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 2:255; in Al `Imran, it is in, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الم - اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ</div><p>(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 3:1-2, while in Ta-Ha, it is in, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ الْقَيُّومِ</div><p>(And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allah), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 20:111." </p><h2 class="title">Ayat Al-Kursi has Ten Complete Arabic Sentences 1. Allah's statement,</h2><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ</div><p>(Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He) mentions that Allah is the One and Only Lord of all creation. 2. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ</div><p>(Al-Hayyul-Qayyum) testifies that Allah is the Ever Living, Who never dies, Who sustains everyone and everything. All creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him, while He is the Most Rich, Who stands in need of nothing created. Similarly, Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمِنْ ءَايَـتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَآءُ وَالاٌّرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ</div><p>(And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His command) 30:25. 3. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ</div><p>(Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him) means, no shortcoming, unawareness or ignorance ever touches Allah. Rather, He is aware of, and controls what every soul earns, has perfect watch over everything, nothing escapes His knowledge, and no secret matter is secret to Him. Among His perfect attributes, is the fact that He is never effected by slumber or sleep. Therefore, Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ</div><p>(Neither slumber overtakes Him) indicates that no unawareness due to slumber ever overtakes Allah. Allah said afterwards, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ نَوْمٌ</div><p>(nor sleep), which is stronger than slumber. It is recorded in the Sahih that Abu Musa said, "The Messenger of Allah delivered a speech regarding four words: </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّ اللهَللهَلا يَنَامُ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ، وَعَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ أَوِ النَّارُ لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِه»</div><p>(Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit His majesty that He sleeps. He lowers the scales and raises them. The deeds of the day are resurrected in front of Him before the deeds of the night, and the deeds of the night before the deeds of the day. His Veil is light, or fire, and if He removes it, the rays from His Face would burn whatever His sight reaches of His creation.) </p><p>4. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاٌّرْضِ</div><p>(To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth) indicates that everyone is a servant for Allah, a part of His kingdom and under His power and authority. Similarly, Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِن كُلُّ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ آتِى الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْداً - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَـهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدّاً - وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَرْداً </div><p>(There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)) 19:93-95. 5. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ</div><p>(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) is similar to His statements, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَكَمْ مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ لاَ تُغْنِى شَفَـعَتُهُمْ شَيْئاً إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَى </div><p>(And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with) 53:26, and, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى</div><p>(They cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased) 21:28. </p><p>These Ayat assert Allah's greatness, pride, and grace, and that no one dares to intercede with Him on behalf of anyone else, except by His permission. Indeed, the Hadith about the intercession, states that the Prophet said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«آتِي تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَأَخِرُّ سَاجِدًا، فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يَدَعَنِي. ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَقُلْ تُسْمَعْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ قَالَ: فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّة»</div><p>(I will stand under the Throne and fall in prostration, and Allah will allow me to remain in that position as much as He wills. I will thereafter be told, "Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted". The Prophet then said, "He will allow me a proportion whom I will enter into Paradise.") </p><p>6. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ</div><p>(He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter) this refers to His perfect knowledge of all creation; its past, present and future. Similarly, Allah said that the angels proclaimed; </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيّاً </div><p>(And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord (O Muhammad ). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two; and your Lord is never forgetful) 19:64. 7. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَآءَ</div><p>(And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills), asserts the fact that no one attains any part of Allah's knowledge except what Allah conveys and allows. This part of the Ayah indicates that no one ever acquires knowledge of Allah and in His Attributes, except what He conveys to them. For instance, Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً</div><p>(But they will never compass anything of His knowledge) 20: 110. 8. Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَـوَاتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ</div><p>(His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth.) </p><p>Waki` narrated in his Tafsir that Ibn `Abbas said, "Kursi is the footstool, and no one is able to give due consideration to Allah's Throne." Al-Hakim recorded this Hadith in his Mustadrak from Ibn `Abbas, who did not relate it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it." In addition, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, "If the seven heavens and the seven earths were flattened and laid side by side, they would add up to the size of a ring in a desert, compared to the Kursi." 9. Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا</div><p>(And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them) meaning, it does not burden or cause Him fatigue to protect the heavens and earth and all that is in between them. Rather, this is an easy matter for Him. Further, Allah sustains everything, has perfect watch over everything, nothing ever escapes His knowledge and no matter is ever a secret to Him. All matters are insignificant, modest and humble before Him. He is the Most Rich, worthy of all praise. He does what He wills, and no one can ask Him about what He does, while they will be asked. He has supreme power over all things and perfect alertness concerning everything. He is the Most High, the Greatest, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and no Lord other than Him. </p><p>10. Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَهُوَ الْعَلِىُّ الْعَظِيمُ</div><p>(And He is the Most High, the Most Great) is similar to His statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ</div><p>(the Most Great, the Most High) 13:9. </p><p>These and similar Ayat and authentic Hadiths about Allah's Attributes must be treated the way the Salaf (righteous ancestors) treated them by accepting their apparent meanings without equating them with the attributes of the creation or altering their apparent meanings. </p>
The Virtue of Ayat Al-KursiThis is Ayat Al-Kursi and tremendous virtues have been associated with it, for the authentic Hadith describes it as `the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah.' Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubayy bin Ka`b said that the Prophet asked him about the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah, and `Ubayy answered, "Allah and His Messenger know better." When the Prophet repeated his question several times, `Ubayy said, "Ayat Al-Kursi." The Prophet commented, «لِيَهْنِكَ الْعِلْمُ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، إِنَّ لَهَا لِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ، تُقَدِّسُ الْمَلِكَ عِنْدَ سَاقِ الْعَرْش»(Congratulations for having knowledge, O Abu Al-Mundhir! By He in Whose Hand is my soul! This Ayah has a tongue and two lips with which she praises the King (Allah) next to the leg of the Throne.) This Hadith was also collected by Muslim, but he did not include the part that starts with, "By He in Whose Hand..." Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ayyub said that he had some dates and a Ghoul used to take some, and he complained to the Prophet. The Prophet said to him, "When you see her, say, `In the Name of Allah, answer to the Messenger of Allah'." Abu Ayyub said that when she came again, he said these words and he was able to grab her. She begged, "I will not come again," so Abu Ayyub released her. Abu Ayyub went to the Prophet and the Prophet asked him, "What did your prisoner do" Abu Ayyub said, "I grabbed her and she said twice, `I will not come again,' and I released her." The Prophet said, "She will come back." Abu Ayyub said, "So I grabbed her twice or three times, yet each time I would release her when she vowed not to come back. I would go to the Prophet who would ask me, `What is the news of your prisoner' I would say, `I grabbed her, then released her when she said that she would not return.' The Prophet would say that she would return. Once, I grabbed her and she said, `Release me and I will teach you something to recite so that no harm touches you, that is, Ayat Al-Kursi.' Abu Ayyub went to the Prophet and told him, and the Prophet said, "She is liar, but she told the truth." At-Tirmidhi recorded this Hadith in the chapter of the virtues of the Qur'an and said, "Hasan Gharib." In Arabic, `Ghoul' refers to the Jinn when they appear at night. Al-Bukhari recorded a similar story in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, in the chapters on the virtues of the Qur'an and the description of Shaytan. In this narration, Abu Hurayrah said, "Allah's Messenger assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and started taking handfuls of foodstuff. I caught him and said, `By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.' I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah' I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' Allah's Messenger said, `Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed that he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger had told me that he would return. So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, `I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' Allah's Messenger said, `Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, `I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.' He said, `Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, `What are they' He replied, `Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger asked, `What did your prisoner do yesterday' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.' Allah's Messenger asked, `What are they' I replied, `He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, `He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah' Abu Hurayrah said, `No.' He said, `It was Shaytan."' An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah. Allah's Greatest Name is in Ayat Al-KursiImam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid bin As-Sakan said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say about these two Ayat, اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ (Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 2:255, and, الم - اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 3:1-2, «إِنَّ فِيهِمَا اسْمَ اللهِ الْأَعْظَم»(They contain Allah's Greatest Name.) This is also the narration collected by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih". Further, Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet said, «اسْمُ اللهِ الْأَعْظَمُ، الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ، فِي ثَلَاثٍ: سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ وَآلِ عِمْرَانَ وَطه»(Allah's Greatest Name, if He was supplicated with it, He answers the supplication, is in three Surahs - Al-Baqarah, Al `Imran and Ta-Ha.) Hisham bin `Ammar, the Khatib (orator) of Damascus (one of the narrators in the above narration), said, "As for Al-Baqarah, it is in, اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ (Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 2:255; in Al `Imran, it is in, الم - اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ(Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 3:1-2, while in Ta-Ha, it is in, وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَىِّ الْقَيُّومِ(And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allah), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists) 20:111." Ayat Al-Kursi has Ten Complete Arabic Sentences 1. Allah's statement,اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ(Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He) mentions that Allah is the One and Only Lord of all creation. 2. Allah's statement, الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ(Al-Hayyul-Qayyum) testifies that Allah is the Ever Living, Who never dies, Who sustains everyone and everything. All creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him, while He is the Most Rich, Who stands in need of nothing created. Similarly, Allah said, وَمِنْ ءَايَـتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَآءُ وَالاٌّرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ(And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by His command) 30:25. 3. Allah's statement, لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ(Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him) means, no shortcoming, unawareness or ignorance ever touches Allah. Rather, He is aware of, and controls what every soul earns, has perfect watch over everything, nothing escapes His knowledge, and no secret matter is secret to Him. Among His perfect attributes, is the fact that He is never effected by slumber or sleep. Therefore, Allah's statement, لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ(Neither slumber overtakes Him) indicates that no unawareness due to slumber ever overtakes Allah. Allah said afterwards, وَلاَ نَوْمٌ(nor sleep), which is stronger than slumber. It is recorded in the Sahih that Abu Musa said, "The Messenger of Allah delivered a speech regarding four words: «إِنَّ اللهَللهَلا يَنَامُ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَنَامَ، يَخْفِضُ الْقِسْطَ وَيَرْفَعُهُ، يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ، وَعَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ، حِجَابُهُ النُّورُ أَوِ النَّارُ لَوْ كَشَفَهُ لَأَحْرَقَتْ سُبُحَاتُ وَجْهِهِ مَا انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ بَصَرُهُ مِنْ خَلْقِه»(Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit His majesty that He sleeps. He lowers the scales and raises them. The deeds of the day are resurrected in front of Him before the deeds of the night, and the deeds of the night before the deeds of the day. His Veil is light, or fire, and if He removes it, the rays from His Face would burn whatever His sight reaches of His creation.) 4. Allah's statement, لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاٌّرْضِ(To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth) indicates that everyone is a servant for Allah, a part of His kingdom and under His power and authority. Similarly, Allah said, إِن كُلُّ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ آتِى الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْداً - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَـهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدّاً - وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَرْداً (There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)) 19:93-95. 5. Allah's statement, مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) is similar to His statements, وَكَمْ مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ لاَ تُغْنِى شَفَـعَتُهُمْ شَيْئاً إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَرْضَى (And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with) 53:26, and, وَلاَ يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى(They cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased) 21:28. These Ayat assert Allah's greatness, pride, and grace, and that no one dares to intercede with Him on behalf of anyone else, except by His permission. Indeed, the Hadith about the intercession, states that the Prophet said, «آتِي تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَأَخِرُّ سَاجِدًا، فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يَدَعَنِي. ثُمَّ يُقَالُ: ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، وَقُلْ تُسْمَعْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ قَالَ: فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّة»(I will stand under the Throne and fall in prostration, and Allah will allow me to remain in that position as much as He wills. I will thereafter be told, "Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted". The Prophet then said, "He will allow me a proportion whom I will enter into Paradise.") 6. Allah's statement, يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ(He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter) this refers to His perfect knowledge of all creation; its past, present and future. Similarly, Allah said that the angels proclaimed; وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيّاً (And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord (O Muhammad ). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two; and your Lord is never forgetful) 19:64. 7. Allah's statement, وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَآءَ(And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills), asserts the fact that no one attains any part of Allah's knowledge except what Allah conveys and allows. This part of the Ayah indicates that no one ever acquires knowledge of Allah and in His Attributes, except what He conveys to them. For instance, Allah said, وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً(But they will never compass anything of His knowledge) 20: 110. 8. Allah said, وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَـوَاتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ(His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth.) Waki` narrated in his Tafsir that Ibn `Abbas said, "Kursi is the footstool, and no one is able to give due consideration to Allah's Throne." Al-Hakim recorded this Hadith in his Mustadrak from Ibn `Abbas, who did not relate it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it." In addition, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, "If the seven heavens and the seven earths were flattened and laid side by side, they would add up to the size of a ring in a desert, compared to the Kursi." 9. Allah said, وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا(And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them) meaning, it does not burden or cause Him fatigue to protect the heavens and earth and all that is in between them. Rather, this is an easy matter for Him. Further, Allah sustains everything, has perfect watch over everything, nothing ever escapes His knowledge and no matter is ever a secret to Him. All matters are insignificant, modest and humble before Him. He is the Most Rich, worthy of all praise. He does what He wills, and no one can ask Him about what He does, while they will be asked. He has supreme power over all things and perfect alertness concerning everything. He is the Most High, the Greatest, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and no Lord other than Him. 10. Allah's statement, وَهُوَ الْعَلِىُّ الْعَظِيمُ(And He is the Most High, the Most Great) is similar to His statement, الْكَبِيرُ الْمُتَعَالِ(the Most Great, the Most High) 13:9. These and similar Ayat and authentic Hadiths about Allah's Attributes must be treated the way the Salaf (righteous ancestors) treated them by accepting their apparent meanings without equating them with the attributes of the creation or altering their apparent meanings. 