Ayat al-Kursi (the Throne 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
Allāhu lā ilāha illā huwa, al-Ḥayyu al-Qayyūm. Lā ta’khudhuhu sinatun wa lā nawm. Lahu mā fī’s-samāwāti wa mā fī’l-arḍ. Man dhā’lladhī 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’s-samāwāti wa’l-arḍ, wa lā ya’ūduhu ḥifẓuhumā, wa huwa al-ʿAliyyu al-ʿAẓīm.
“Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what lies before them and behind them, while they grasp nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not weary Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
When to say it
Recited after each obligatory prayer, before sleeping, and in the morning and evening.
Virtue & benefit
The Prophet ﷺ said whoever recites it when going to bed will have a protector from Allah, and no devil will come near until morning. It is the greatest verse in the Qur'an.
Source
Qur'an, Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:255. Its virtue at bedtime is in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (2311).
Frequently asked
When should I recite Ayat al-Kursi?
It is recited after every obligatory prayer, before going to sleep, and as part of the morning and evening remembrance (adhkar).
What is the benefit of Ayat al-Kursi?
The Prophet ﷺ said that reciting it before sleep places a guardian from Allah over you so that no devil approaches until morning; scholars also note it as the greatest verse of the Qur'an.
Make this dua a daily habit
SABR helps you memorise and retain your everyday duas with spaced repetition — so the words are ready on your tongue when you need them.