Virtues of Āyat al-Kursī – From the Book “Sūrōn aur Āyāt ke Faḍāʾil” by Shaykh Ghulām Muṣṭafā Ẓahīr Amunpuri
Āyat al-Kursī is the most virtuous verse in the Qur'an.
It comprises 50 words, 180 letters, and is made up of 10 sentences.
It begins with the name “Allah”, and within it are:
◈ 11 evidences of Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah)
◈ 5 of Allah’s Beautiful Names (Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā)
◈ 26 Divine Attributes (Ṣifāt Bārī Taʿālā)
◈ A mention of Allah’s Kursī (Throne) – hence it is known as Āyat al-Kursī.
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
He was guarding the charity dates and noticed signs that someone had taken from them.
When he informed the Prophet ﷺ, he was instructed to recite:
“Subḥān man sakhkharaka li-Muḥammad ﷺ”
("Glory be to the One who subdued you for Muḥammad ﷺ").
Abū Hurayrah recited this and caught a jinn, who pleaded for release, claiming poverty. This happened three times, and finally the jinn said:
“I will teach you words—when you say them, no male or female jinn will approach you.”
He said:
“Recite Āyat al-Kursī every morning and evening.”
When Abū Hurayrah informed the Prophet ﷺ, he said:
“Do you know who it was?”
“Indeed, he was truthful to you, but he is a liar.”
Source: Faḍāʾil al-Qurʾān lil-Nasāʾī: 42 – Ḥasan isnād
Narrated by Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked:
“O Abū al-Mundhir! Do you know which verse in the Book of Allah is greatest?”
He replied: “Āyat al-Kursī.”
The Prophet ﷺ struck his chest and said:
“By Allah! May knowledge bring you delight, O Abū al-Mundhir.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 810
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muḥammad! This verse has a tongue and two lips that glorify Allah beneath the leg of the Throne.”
Source: Musnad ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd: 178 – Ṣaḥīḥ isnād
Narrated by Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death.”
Sources:
Al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Nasāʾī: 9928
ʿAmal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah: 100
Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr by Ṭabarānī: 8/134
Ibn Ḥibbān, Ibn Ḥajar’s Ittiḥāf al-Mahrah: 8/259, Ḥadīth 8480 – Ḥasan isnād
Scholars such as Ibn Ḥibbān, al-Mundhirī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Suyūṭī, al-Diyāʾ al-Maqdisī, Ibn al-Qaṭṭān, and Ibn Ḥajar have declared it ṣaḥīḥ or ḥasan.
Narrated by Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after the obligatory prayer is in the protection of Allah until the next prayer.”
Sources:
Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr: 2733
Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ: 674 (both by Ṭabarānī) – Ḥasan isnād
Note on narrator Kathīr ibn Yaḥyā:
Though some considered him weak, scholars like Ibn Ḥibbān, Abū Zurʿah, and Abū Ḥātim praised him as truthful (ṣadūq).
Al-Mundhirī and al-Haythamī graded the narration as ḥasan.
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
“There is nothing in the heavens or earth, in open lands or mountains, greater than Āyat al-Kursī.”
Source: Al-Asmāʾ wa al-Ṣifāt by al-Bayhaqī: 833 – Ḥasan isnād
✔ Greatest verse in the Qur’an
✔ Protection from jinn – morning and evening
✔ Entrance to Paradise for one who recites it after every prayer
✔ Divine protection until the next prayer
✔ Constant glorification of Allah under the Throne
✔ Nothing in all creation is greater than it
Āyat al-Kursī – The Greatest Verse of the Qur’an
Āyat al-Kursī is the most virtuous verse in the Qur'an.
It comprises 50 words, 180 letters, and is made up of 10 sentences.
It begins with the name “Allah”, and within it are:
◈ 11 evidences of Tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah)
◈ 5 of Allah’s Beautiful Names (Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā)
◈ 26 Divine Attributes (Ṣifāt Bārī Taʿālā)
◈ A mention of Allah’s Kursī (Throne) – hence it is known as Āyat al-Kursī.
➊ Protection from Jinn through Āyat al-Kursī
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
He was guarding the charity dates and noticed signs that someone had taken from them.
When he informed the Prophet ﷺ, he was instructed to recite:
“Subḥān man sakhkharaka li-Muḥammad ﷺ”
("Glory be to the One who subdued you for Muḥammad ﷺ").
Abū Hurayrah recited this and caught a jinn, who pleaded for release, claiming poverty. This happened three times, and finally the jinn said:
“I will teach you words—when you say them, no male or female jinn will approach you.”
He said:
“Recite Āyat al-Kursī every morning and evening.”
When Abū Hurayrah informed the Prophet ﷺ, he said:
“Do you know who it was?”
“Indeed, he was truthful to you, but he is a liar.”
Source: Faḍāʾil al-Qurʾān lil-Nasāʾī: 42 – Ḥasan isnād
➋ The Greatest Verse – Affirmation by the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by Ubayy ibn Kaʿb رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked:
“O Abū al-Mundhir! Do you know which verse in the Book of Allah is greatest?”
He replied: “Āyat al-Kursī.”
The Prophet ﷺ struck his chest and said:
“By Allah! May knowledge bring you delight, O Abū al-Mundhir.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 810
➌ Āyat al-Kursī Glorifies Allah Beneath the Throne
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muḥammad! This verse has a tongue and two lips that glorify Allah beneath the leg of the Throne.”
Source: Musnad ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd: 178 – Ṣaḥīḥ isnād
➍ Leads to Paradise – Protection Until Death
Narrated by Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death.”
Sources:
Al-Sunan al-Kubrā lil-Nasāʾī: 9928
ʿAmal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah: 100
Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr by Ṭabarānī: 8/134
Ibn Ḥibbān, Ibn Ḥajar’s Ittiḥāf al-Mahrah: 8/259, Ḥadīth 8480 – Ḥasan isnād
Scholars such as Ibn Ḥibbān, al-Mundhirī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Suyūṭī, al-Diyāʾ al-Maqdisī, Ibn al-Qaṭṭān, and Ibn Ḥajar have declared it ṣaḥīḥ or ḥasan.
➎ Under Allah’s Protection Until the Next Prayer
Narrated by Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after the obligatory prayer is in the protection of Allah until the next prayer.”
Sources:
Al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr: 2733
Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ: 674 (both by Ṭabarānī) – Ḥasan isnād
Note on narrator Kathīr ibn Yaḥyā:
Though some considered him weak, scholars like Ibn Ḥibbān, Abū Zurʿah, and Abū Ḥātim praised him as truthful (ṣadūq).
Al-Mundhirī and al-Haythamī graded the narration as ḥasan.
➏ Nothing Greater than Āyat al-Kursī
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه:
“There is nothing in the heavens or earth, in open lands or mountains, greater than Āyat al-Kursī.”
Source: Al-Asmāʾ wa al-Ṣifāt by al-Bayhaqī: 833 – Ḥasan isnād
Summary of Virtues:
✔ Greatest verse in the Qur’an
✔ Protection from jinn – morning and evening
✔ Entrance to Paradise for one who recites it after every prayer
✔ Divine protection until the next prayer
✔ Constant glorification of Allah under the Throne
✔ Nothing in all creation is greater than it
