Significance of Ayatul Kursi
Ayatul Kursi is very well known among Muslims. There is a Hadith narrated from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that describes verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqara as the most important and noble verse in the Holy Book. This verse has been known as Ayatul Kursi since the beginning and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has mentioned this name in the Hadith.
The special importance attached to the verse is because of the sublime teachings it contains, including the phrase “Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him,” which denotes pure Tawheed (monotheism).
“Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge—except what He wills ˹to reveal˺. His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.”
The names of God and His attributes have been mentioned in this verse 16 times. That is why Ayatul Kursi is referred to as the motto and message of Tawheed. La Ilaha Illa Allah (There is no God but Allah) is the identity of every Muslim and the first motto and invitation of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Belief in it is the source of salvation for every human being. Belief in Tawheed makes one regard all powers and attractions as insignificant. An example of the lessons of Tawheed is that Muslims would not prostrate before kings and the powerful.
The word Ever-Living means that death and inexistence are meaningless when it comes to God. All-Sustaining signifies God’s sustaining of the world constantly. The fact that neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him means His attention to the world is endless. And He owns everything that there is: To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.
Without His permission, no one has the power to intercede, which is another emphasis on God’s oneness in power and will. So it denies any idol or entity that seeks to undermine God’s dominance.
The word Kursi (seat) should not be viewed as a physical thing and a seat on which God sits but, as Allameh Tabatabaei puts it, Kursi is a rank in the ranks of God’s knowledge which no one can measure. It signifies God’s power and dominance over the heavens and the earth. The phrase “He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them” also refers to God’s infinite knowledge about the present and the future. It indicates that all things spread in time and space are in one place that is God’s knowledge and it has been referred to as Kursi.
