Ayatul Kursi: Arabic Text, Meaning, Translation and Benefits

Ayatul Kursi, the "Verse of the Throne", is the 255th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah. It is one of the most loved and most memorised passages of the Quran, recited by Muslims every day after prayer, before sleep and in moments of fear. The Prophet ﷺ described it as the greatest verse in the Book of Allah. This guide gives you the full Arabic text, an easy transliteration, English and Urdu translations, a short explanation of its meaning and the authentic narrations about its virtues.

In this guide:

• Ayatul Kursi in Arabic
• Transliteration
• English and Urdu translation
• What Ayatul Kursi means, line by line
• Authentic virtues of Ayatul Kursi
• When to recite it
• How to memorise it with correct Tajweed
• Frequently asked questions

Ayatul Kursi in Arabic (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255)

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ 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 ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Ayatul Kursi transliteration

Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm. Lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard. Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih. Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum. Wa la yuhituna bi-shay'im-min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'. Wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard. Wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma. Wa Huwal-'Aliyyul-'Azim.

Transliteration helps beginners follow along, but it cannot show every Arabic sound accurately. Letters such as ح, ع and ظ have no English equivalent, so it is best to learn the recitation from a teacher or a trusted reciter and use the Arabic text as soon as you can read it.

Ayatul Kursi English and Urdu translation

English (Saheeh International)

Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. 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 Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Urdu (Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi)

اللہ تعالیٰ ہی معبود برحق ہے جس کے سوا کوئی معبود نہیں جو زنده اور سب کا تھامنے والا ہے، جسے نہ اونگھ آئے نہ نیند، اس کی ملکیت میں زمین اور آسمانوں کی تمام چیزیں ہیں۔ کون ہے جو اس کی اجازت کے بغیر اس کے سامنے شفاعت کرسکے، وه جانتا ہے جو ان کے سامنے ہے اور جو ان کے پیچھے ہے اور وه اس کے علم میں سے کسی چیز کا احاطہ نہیں کرسکتے مگر جتنا وه چاہے، اس کی کرسی کی وسعت نے زمین و آسمان کو گھیر رکھا ہے اور اللہ تعالیٰ ان کی حفاظت سے نہ تھکتا اور نہ اکتاتا ہے، وه تو بہت بلند اور بہت بڑا ہے۔

What Ayatul Kursi means, line by line

Ayatul Kursi is a short verse, but it is a complete lesson in tawhid, the oneness of Allah. Its sentences describe who Allah is and how complete His power and knowledge are.

• "Allah, there is no deity except Him": it opens with the declaration at the heart of Islam, that nothing deserves worship except Allah.
• "The Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining" (Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyum): Allah's life has no beginning and no end, and everything else depends on Him while He depends on nothing.
• "Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep": unlike His creation, Allah is never tired, unaware or absent, not even for a moment.
• "To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth": everything we own is a trust from its true Owner.
• "Who can intercede with Him except by His permission?": no one, however close to Allah, can intercede without His leave.
• "He knows what is before them and what will be after them": Allah's knowledge covers the past, present and future completely.
• "His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth": the verse takes its name from the Kursi, showing the vastness of His dominion.
• "Their preservation tires Him not; He is the Most High, the Most Great": holding the whole universe in place is no burden for Him.

Reflecting on these meanings while reciting turns Ayatul Kursi from words we repeat into a reminder of Allah's greatness. If you want to understand the Quran in this way, our Quran translation course and Quran tafseer course teach meaning verse by verse.

Authentic virtues of Ayatul Kursi

1. The greatest verse in the Quran

The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b which verse of the Book of Allah was the greatest. When Ubayy answered with Ayatul Kursi, the Prophet ﷺ struck his chest and said, "May knowledge be pleasing to you, O Abul-Mundhir." (Sahih Muslim 810)

2. Protection through the night

In a well-known narration, Abu Hurayrah was guarding the zakat of Ramadan and caught a man stealing from it. The man taught him that whoever recites Ayatul Kursi when going to bed will have a guardian from Allah with him, and no devil will come near him until morning. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He told you the truth, though he is a great liar," and explained that it was Shaytan. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311)

3. After every obligatory prayer

Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever recites Ayatul Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death. (Reported by an-Nasa'i in as-Sunan al-Kubra; graded authentic by Shaykh al-Albani)

Many other claims about Ayatul Kursi circulate online without a reliable source. It is best to rely on authentic narrations like the ones above and to ask a qualified scholar when you are unsure.

When to recite Ayatul Kursi

• After each of the five daily prayers, as part of the remembrance after salah.
• Before sleeping, alongside the other bedtime adhkar. See our page on the dua before sleeping.
• In the morning and evening remembrances, which many scholars include in the daily adhkar.
• Whenever you feel afraid or anxious, as a way of turning to Allah and remembering His protection.

How to memorise Ayatul Kursi with correct Tajweed

Ayatul Kursi contains several Tajweed rules beginners meet early, including madd (lengthening), ghunnah and the rules of noon sakinah and tanween. For example, سِنَةٌۭ followed by وَلَا is a case of idgham, where the tanween merges into the next letter. A simple plan:

• Listen first. Play a clear recitation several times while following the Arabic text.
• Split it into sentences. Learn one sentence a day; the verse has natural stopping points.
• Repeat aloud. Recite each sentence five to ten times before adding the next.
• Get corrected. A teacher will catch mistakes in letters like ح and ع that you may not hear yourself.
• Use it daily. Reciting it after every prayer is the best revision there is.

New to Arabic letters? Start with our free Arabic alphabet lesson, then read about Makharij al-Huruf and the rules of noon sakinah and tanween. You can also read the whole surah in our online Quran reader.