Al-Baqara 255

The Throne Verse (Arabic: آية الكرسي‎, translit. ʾĀyat al-Kursī‎) is the 255th verse of the 2nd surah of the Qur'an, Al-Baqara. This verse speaks about how nothing and nobody is comparable to Allah.[1]

It is perhaps the most well-known verse of the Quran and is widely memorized and displayed in the Islamic world.[2]

Text and translation

Arabic Transliteration English translation[3]

اللّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ
لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ
لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ
مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهم
 وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَا
وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ
وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا
وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Allahu la ilaha ila huwa lhayu lqayyūm
la ta'khudhuhu sinatu wala nawm
lahu ma fisamawati wama fil Ard
man dha ladhi yashfa'au a'indahu ila b,idhni
ya'alamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum
wala yuheet'toon bi shay,in min a,ilmahu illa bima shaaa'
was'aa kursiyu bis samawati wal Ard.
Wala Yu'udhuhu Hifdhuma
Wahuwa A'alyul A'Adheem

Allah ! There is no deity but 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 wills.
His throne includeth the heavens and the earth,
and He is never weary of preserving them.
He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.

Power

Islamic religious belief holds that anyone who recites the verse enters the protection and security of Allah.

Use

Because the Throne Verse is believed to grant spiritual or physical protection, it is often recited by Muslims before setting out on a journey and before going to sleep.[2]

Symmetry of verses

Ayat al-Kursi displays an internal symmetry comprising concentric looping verses surrounding a pivotal chiasm 'x' of the type A B C D X D' C' B' A'. The reciter imagines him or herself walking through Ayat al-Kursi until reaching the centre, seeing what is in front and what is behind, and finds they represent a perfect reflection of each other. The central chiasm is represented by "Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum = He knows what is before them and what is behind them". This is flanked symmetrically outwards so that A corresponds to A', B corresponds to B', and so forth. For example, line 3 "he is the lord of the heavens and the earth" corresponds to line 7 "his throne extends over heavens and earth".

There is a slight difference of opinion as to whether to follow Ayat al-Kursi with verses 256 and 257 though this is not usually performed.

Surat al-Baqara itself provides a broader internal concentricity which approximates Ayat al-Kursi to verses of 29-31 relating the glorification of the angels and Allah's eternal will to bestow His names upon Adam.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1983) [First published 1934]. The Holy Qur’ān: Text, Translation and Commentary. Brentwood, Maryland: Amana Corp. pp. 102–103.
  2. 1 2 Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ed. (2015). The Study Quran. HarperCollins Publishers. p. 110.
  3. ↑ Quran 2:255 (Translated by Pickthall)
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