Protection
Ayat al-Kursi (the Throne Verse)
Ayat al-Kursi is verse 255 of surah al-Baqarah, described by the Prophet ﷺ as the greatest verse in the Qur'an. It magnifies Allah's life, knowledge and dominion over all creation. Recite it after every obligatory prayer and before sleep: the Prophet ﷺ taught that whoever says it at night keeps a guardian from Allah, and no devil comes near him until morning.
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
Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa, al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm. Lā ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fī as-samāwāti wa mā fī al-arḍ. Man dhā alladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahu illā bi-idhnih. Yaʿlamu mā bayna aydīhim wa mā khalfahum, wa lā yuḥīṭūna bi-shay'in min ʿilmihi illā bimā shā'. Wasiʿa kursiyyuhu as-samāwāti wa al-arḍ, wa lā ya'ūduhu ḥifẓuhumā. Wa huwa al-ʿAliyyu al-ʿAẓīm.
Allah, there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Who could intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they grasp nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. And He is the Most High, the Magnificent.
Authenticity: Qur'an, surah al-Baqarah (2:255). Its virtues are established in Sahih hadith, including al-Bukhari (2311) on its protection at night.
Download image to shareWhen to say it
After each of the five obligatory prayers, when lying down to sleep, and as part of the morning and evening adhkar.
How often
Once after each obligatory prayer and once before sleep.
Frequently asked
Why is Ayat al-Kursi so important?
The Prophet ﷺ told Ubayy ibn Ka'b that it is the greatest verse in the Book of Allah (Sahih Muslim 810). It gathers the fundamentals of Allah's oneness, life, knowledge and dominion in a single verse.
What is the benefit of reciting it before sleep?
In Sahih al-Bukhari (2311), the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi when going to bed will have a protector from Allah, and no devil will draw near him until morning.