“Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Quran is Surah al-Baqarah. In it there is an ayah which is the greatest in the Qur’an: Ayat al-Kursi.” [at-Tirmidhi]

Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful has blessed all mankind with the most perfect, complete and blessed religion of Islam.

If one were to ponder, they would realize the beauty and miracle  of every verse of the Qur’an. Among these Ayahs is the Ayat Al- Kursi which has been described as the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ubayy bin K’ab said that the Prophet (S.A.W) asked him about the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah, and Ubayy answered ” Allah and His Messenger know better”. When the Prophet (S.A.W.) repeated his question several times, Ubayy said, “Ayat Al-Kursi” The Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) commented,

“لِيَهْنِكَ الْعِلْمُ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ، وَ الّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ، إِنَّ لَهَا لِسَانًا وَ شَفَتَيْنِ، تُقَدِّسُ الْمَلِكَ عِنْدَ سَاقِ الْعَرْشِ”

“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 His Throne.” (Collected by Ahmad (5:14))

Allah! There is none worthy of worship 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 encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Throne 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.

There are many benefits of the Ayat Al- Kursi.

A few of these are mentioned below:

• Reciting Ayat Al-Kursi after each obligatory prayer:

One is always in search of an easy path to Jannah, and Subhan Allah, we are given plenty of such opportunities, one of these opportunities is the recitaion of the Ayat Al -Kursi after every obligatory prayer.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has said:

من قرأ آيةَ الكرسي دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة “لم يمنعه دخول الجنة إلا أن يموت”

The prophet (peace be upon him) said: One who recites Ayat Al- Kursi [Qur’an chapter 2 verse 255] after every fardh salah, nothing will be between him and paradise accept death.

[Hakim, Al Tabraani.]

• Reciting Ayat Al- Kursi before sleeping:

Ayat ul Kursi has protective properties. The devils cannot approach or harm one who has read it with tawakkul in Allah, for the  Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) also said: “When you are about to sleep, recite ayat al-kursi till the end of the verse for there will remain over you a protection from Allah and  no devil will draw near to you until morning.”

[Al-Bukhari]

• It contains the greatest name of Allah:

Asma bint Yazeed narrated that the Prophet (Saw) said, “These two ayahs, ‘Allah, none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists…’(Ayatul-Kursi, 2:255) and ‘Alif, Laam, Meem, none has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One who sustains all that exists’ (Aal-Imran 3:1-2), that they contain the greatest name of Allah.” (Ahmad) 

In another hadith, the Prophet (Saw) said, ‘The greatest name of Allah, which if He is called by it, He responds…” Imagine Allah will respond to these duaa, no doubt about it.

Allahu Akbar! Can you imagine such an easy way to Jannah! Imagine that In Sha Allah if you DO read the Ayat Al- Kursi after every obligatory salah the only thing separating you from Jannah is your death. Imagine that Allah sends angels to protect you, because you simply read one ayah! Imagine that Allah responds to the duaa of Ayah tul Kursi, because it contains His greatest name!

So what are we waiting for, let’s buck ourselves up, renew our resolutions, re-strengthen our will power and make it mandatory on ourselves to recite this verse, one can’t even perceive the miracle of this ayah; the beautiful path to Jannah it provides, but one can try their level best to perfect their recitation and pronunciation of this Ayah, understand and recite it properly, rather than parrot read it.

May Allah guide us and make us amongst those to enter paradise.

Ameen

Bint Hasan

Writer, AAT