Ayat al-Kursi — 'the Verse of the Throne' — is the single greatest verse in the Qur'an. The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b (RA) which verse of the Qur'an was the greatest. When Ubayy answered 'Ayat al-Kursi', the Prophet ﷺ struck him on the chest in delight and said: 'May knowledge be a delight for you, Abul-Mundhir!' (Sahih Muslim 810). It is the most powerful protection a Muslim can recite — for the home, for the night, for travel and for the heart.
Ayat al-Kursi — the verse
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ 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
Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm. Lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard. Man dhalladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi idhnih. Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum. Wa la yuhituna bi shay'in min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'. Wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard. Wa la ya'uduhu hifzhuhuma. Wa Huwal-'Aliyyul-'Azim.
Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. 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 before them and what is behind them, and they cannot encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
(Surah al-Baqarah 2:255)
The reward — protection until morning
Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every fard prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death.
And the famous hadith of Abu Hurayrah (RA) when Shaytan came to him at night to steal from the zakat he was guarding: Shaytan begged for release by teaching him a verse — 'When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, for there will remain over you a guardian from Allah, and Shaytan will not come near you until morning.' The Prophet ﷺ confirmed: 'He has told you the truth, though he is a liar' (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).
When to recite Ayat al-Kursi
- After every fard (obligatory) prayer — the path to Paradise.
- Before sleeping — full protection from Shaytan until morning.
- Morning and evening adhkar — protection through the day and night.
- When entering the home, on the children, and over the elderly.
- When fearful, anxious, or in any place of unease.
Why it is the greatest verse
Ayat al-Kursi is a complete declaration of Allah's oneness, His attributes and His sovereignty in a single verse: He is the Ever-Living, He never sleeps, He owns everything, no intercession happens without His permission, His knowledge encompasses all things, His Throne extends over creation, and protecting it does not tire Him. Reciting it is reciting the heart of tawhid itself.
Reference
The verse is from Surah al-Baqarah (2:255). The hadith of Abul-Mundhir (Ubayy ibn Ka'b) is in Sahih Muslim (810). The Shaytan-and-zakat narration is in Sahih al-Bukhari (2311). The post-prayer hadith is in Sunan an-Nasa'i al-Kubra (9928), graded Sahih by Imam al-Albani in Silsilat as-Sahihah (972).