The Greatest Verse of Quran: Ayatul Kursi

The greatest verse of Quran is the Ayatul Kursi. Most of us have already experienced the power of this verse and we recite it whenever we feel scared. Here are some of the virtues of Ayatul Kursi from the Ahadith.

Abu Huraira said, "Allah's Messenger () put me in charge of the Zakat of Ramadan (i.e. Zakat-ul-Fitr). Someone came to me and started scooping some of the foodstuff of (Zakat) with both hands. I caught him and told him that I would take him to Allah's Messenger () ." Then Abu Huraira told the whole narration and added "He (i.e. the thief) said, 'Whenever you go to your bed, recite the Verse of "Al-Kursi" (2.255) for then a guardian from Allah will be guarding you, and Satan will not approach you till dawn.' " On that the Prophet () said, "He told you the truth, though he is a liar, and he (the thief) himself was the Satan." [Bukhari 3275]

Prophet saw said, "Whoever recites Aayatul Kursi after every Fard Salah, only death is keeping him/her from entering Jannah. (As soon as he/she dies, will enter Jannah) [Nisa'i]

Have we ever wondered why this verse of Quran is the greatest ayah of Quran and has many virtues associated with it?

This is because it contains a strong message of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah) and a very beautiful introduction of Allah swt. Let us look at this verse and try to understand its meaning:

Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

• There is no other deity worthy of worship except Allah swt.
  
• This verse contains five names of Allah swt namely الله، الحي، القيوم، العلي، العظيم

• Two of these names Al-Hayy (the one who is ever-living, gives life to others and has perfect attributes) and Al-Qayyum (the one who is established perfectly without any support, who is independent, and who establishes others) are called the greatest names of Allah and if we supplicate Allah with theses names then He will answer our supplication.

•  Sleep and drowsiness are signs of weakness and Allah swt clearly states in this verse that: Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. This is the perfection of Allah's being! Subhanallah! He is free from every weakness and imperfection!
  
  
• Every thing in the Heavens and the earth is created by Allah s.w.t. We, human beings, have not even discovered all the creations of Allah swt despite having such powerful technologies.
• No one can intercede in front of Allah swt without the will of Allah. There are three conditions for an intercession to be accepted by Allah on the day of judgement:
  i) Allah allows the intercession
  ii) Allah should be pleased with the person interceding.
  iii) Allah should be pleased with the one for whom intercession is being done.
  
•  All the actions which we did in the past, we are doing at present and which we will do in the future are recorded in Lawh-ul-Mahfoodh. Do you remember what you ate on September 4th, 2009, what did you wear and what did you do on that day? No! But Allah has the record of our every action.
•  Do you know someone who has done pHD in all the subjects or who has read all the books in a public library? No! Our knowledge is very limited.
  i) We do not know anything about Allah except for what he has told us.
  ii)  We don't know of what Allah knows except of which Allah tells us.
• The kursi (foot-stool) of Allah swt extends over the seven heavens and earth.
  According to a hadith, the seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy are like a ring in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the Throne of Allah, is like a ring thrown in a desert.
   
•  We get tired and are unable to perfectly manage even the affairs of our homes but Allah swt manages the entire universe perfectly without getting getting tired, subhanAllah!
  
  
  Subhanallah, this is the introduction of the one and only god who truely deserves to be worshipped. No other deity/false god can possess all these perfect characteristics as mentioned in ayatul kursi.
  
  So we should truely submit to Allah, worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped, entrust all our affairs in his care because He is the best one and the only one to take care of them.
  
  So, the next time, we recite ayatul kursi, let us ponder and reflect upon its meanings as well and inshAllah, we will feel like surrendering ourselves to His grandeur, perfection and greatness.
  

 

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ

 ‘O Living, O Sustaining, in Your Mercy I seek relief!’

 

 




 

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.
{Chapter 2, Verse 186}

Subhanallah, this is the beauty of Islam. We can ask God directly, at any time, for any of our lawful needs. No need of any intermediaries! Alhumdulillah!

Subhanallah, when we ask for favours from people multiple times, people get fed up with us. But God wants us to ask Him as much as we can. God loves being invoked and being called upon for even our smallest needs.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) said: God descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the first part of the night is over and says: I am the Lord; I am the Lord: who is there to supplicate Me so that I answer him? Who is there to beg of Me so that I grant him? Who is there to beg forgiveness from Me so that I forgive him? He continues like this till the day breaks. [Sahih Muslim 758 b]

Power of Dua

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided. (Baqarah 186)

In this beautiful verse of Surah Baqarah, Allah swt assures us that indeed he is very close to us (with His knowledge) and he always responds to all our duas, Subhanallah, If we ask people for some thing again and again, they get fed up with us. However, Allah wants us to only ask Him for all our needs. Making dua is itself an act of worship and dua is also the essence of our worship. In our Salahs, we praise and glorify Allah swt, we ask for guidance in Surah Fatiha (Ihdina sirat almustaqeem), we ask for forgiveness (Allahumma aghfirlee) in Rukoos and sujood and we make other duas in Tashahhud and sujood.

But there are some conditions for the acceptance of duas. According to the ayah mentioned above, if we want Allah swt to respond to our duas then we should obey Him and have conviction in Him that He will indeed answer our duas. Here is a list of some of the requirements for the acceptance of our duas:
1) Dua should be made with sincerity (sincerely asking only Allah swt).
2) It should be made with attentive heart not in an auto-mode without understanding what we are saying.
3) Our source of income and the food we consume should be Halal.
4) We should not make dua hastily seeking immediate results.
5) We should not be committing many sins.
6) We should have conviction in Allah swt that He will definitely repond to our duas.
7) We should not be aggressive while supplicating.


According to a hadith in Saheeh Muslim: A man’s (dua’s) may be answered as long as it does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship or hastening.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, what does hastening mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made dua’ and I made dua’ but I did not see any response,’ so he gets discouraged and stops making dua’.

According to another hadith, Allah responds to our duas in one of the three ways:
1) Allah accepts our dua right away.
2) Allah saves the reward of the dua for the Hereafter.
3) Allah averts some calmity or harm for us because of the dua.

So we should not never understimate the power of dua. Even if we do not get what we ask for in our duas, we will still get so much reward for just making dua in the Hereafter. Allah swt knows what is best for us so we should never complain Allah swt if we do not get our desire/wish fulfilled right away.

Also there are some etiquettes of making dua. We should start our duas by praising and glorifying Allah swt (e.g.: Subhanallahi wa bi hamdihi Subhanallahil Adheem), then we should send blessings to Prophet saw (durood), then we should ask for forgiveness of our sins, then we should thank Allah swt for all His blessings and then finally we should ask Allah swt for our needs. There is also a Masnoon Dua Haajaat which can also be used.

But subhanallah we are so busy in our worldly lives that we do not even take out time for making dua to Allah swt. But Allah swt is so Merciful that He grants so many of our needs without us asking for them. We should also be aware of the times when duas are accepted. Some of the times are mentioned below:
a) in the last third of night
b) after fard prayers
c) between Athan and Iqamah
d) an hour on Friday
e) while drinking zamzam water
f) in sajdah
g) during rain
h) while travelling
i) between asr and maghrib salah
j) at the iftar time/ of a fasting person
k) during laylatul qadr

Inshallah, by learning about the etiquettes of making dua, conditions of acceptance of dua, reward of making dua and the time of acceptance of dua, we can utilize the power of dua to achieve anything we want in our life (as long as it is not sinful and it is good for us).

Also, we should design our duas wisely. Quranic and Masnoon duas are the best duas to make. Subhanallah, they are so comprehensive. We can always find some Quranic or Masnoon dua according to our need. Whatever duas we make, we should always remember that our duas should not be merely focused on our worldly needs. We should always ask for the success in Hereafter because it is, indeed, the ultimate success for us.


And among the people is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share. But among them is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in account. (Baqarah 199-202)

There is nothing wrong in making duas for wordly things such as a big house, a new car, high marks in exams. But we should ask for Hereafter, as well. Infact, a good dua (as mentioned in verse 201 of Surah Baqarah) includes asking for both the good of this dunya and the good of the Hereafter.

Whoever asks Allāh for Paradise three times [Allahumma innee as'aluk al-Jannah], then Paradise will say: “O Allāh! Enter him into Paradise!” And whoever seeks protection with Allāh from the Fire three times [Allahumma ajirnee min an-Naar], the Fire will say: “O Allāh! Protect him from the Fire!”" [Reported by at-Tirmidhi, and it is authentic]

What is Sabr? How to do Sabr?

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. (Baqarah 155)

In this ayah, Allah swt mentions that we will be tested through fear, hunger, loss of wealth, loss of lives of loved ones and loss of children. Everyone goes through different tests in their lives. Whatever our test is, no matter how big or small, we will only be able to pass it through patience and prayer.

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. (Baqarah 153)

What is Sabr (patience)?
Sabr is holding ourselves from every kind of negative reaction whenever we are tested. Negative reactions may include swearing, yelling, blaming others, being violent, etc. Sabr also includes to accept the test as the decree of Allah swt and to say Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajioon (Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return) whenever anything bad happens to us.


Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. (Baqarah 156, 157)

Being patient at the time of difficulty is not always easy. Therefore, the next tool which we have is Salah. Prophet saw used to rush to Salah whenever any calamity strikes. So, the correct attitude of a believer when facing any difficulty is not whining or saying "Why me?", but instead a believer should seek Allah's help by praying two rakah Hajaat Nawafil.

Sabr includes three things:

1) to stop oneself from negative reactions and accept the test as a decree of Allah swt
2) to be steadfast and firm on obedience of Allah
3) to stay away from doing what Allah has forbidden.

Also there are three levels of sabr:
Level 1: to at least control oneself from negative reactions (it is okay to weep and make dua)
Level 2: to be pleased/content with the decree of Allah swt
Level 3: Despite being in a calamity, person thanks Allah swt (by saying alhumdulillahi ala kulli haal) realizing that it could have been worse and it is an opportunity to earn more reward. Person also makes this dua:

 To Allah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allah, recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better.

We should aim for the third level of sabr which is the best level.

Also, we should know that sabr should start as soon as the calamity strikes. it is not sabr to first whine and complain and then say that now I will do sabr. Moreover, sabr should be done consistently. It is not sabr to stop being patient and say "now thats enough, I cannot do it anymore".

Also remember the purpose of tests by Allah s.w.t. By putting us in hardships, Allah forgives us our sins, raises our ranks in His eyes and makes us stronger. Allah tests everyone through different kinds of trials. For some, praying on time or waking up for fajr could be a test. For others, doing house chores, fulfilling family commitments or managing time could be a test. Allah also tests us through people especially our loved ones. Basically, any command of Allah which is hard for us to fulfil or any of His prohibitions which is hard for us to resist is a test for us. Only through patience and prayer, we can submit ourselves to the will of Allah s.w.t and pass all the test successfully.

This life itself is a test. Only those who will lead their lives according to the will of Allah swt will be successful in the Hereafter.

We should always remember that Allah's mercy and support is always with the patient ones and Allah loves those who endure every test with patience as mentioned in verses in Quran.

May Allah swt makes us among Sabireen (those who are patient), Shakireen (those who are grateful to Him) and Aabideen (those who worship Him), Ameen!

Lessons from Ibrahim A.S's Life

And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham except one who makes a fool of himself. And We had chosen him in this world, and indeed he, in the Hereafter, will be among the righteous. (Surah Baqarah Ayah 130)

 In this ayah, Allah swt call the one who leaves the religion of Ibrahim a.s as foolish.

What was the religion of Ibrahim a.s?

Ibrahim a.s adopted the religion based on Tawheed ( worshipping Allah s.w.t alone) and Ikhlaas (sincerity) completely free from shirk.

In the above ayah, Allah swt also mentioned that He chose Ibrahim a.s. in dunya. 

How did Allah swt choose Ibrahim a.s in this world?

1) Allah swt made him a leader (Imam) for all the Muslims. Even Prophet Muhammad saw was required to follow Ibrahim a.s.

2) Allah chose him as his intimate friend (Khaleelullah)

3) Ibrahim a.s. was  given righteous offsprings. He was called as the father of prophets (Abul Anbiya). Many prophets including Ismael, Ishaaq, Yaqoob, Yousuf, Musa, Harun, Eesa, Suleman, Dawud (may blessings of Allah be upon them) and Prophet Muhammad saw were from Ibrahim a.s. lineage.

4) Allah gave Ibrahim as an opportunity to build Kaaba with his son Ismael a.s.

5) Allah swt accepted his duas to populate Makkah, to make it a peaceful city and to send a messenger among Arabs.

6) Allah swt preserved his name, which we mention daily in Durood Ibraheem. Even today, Muslims offer two rakah nafil Salah in Maqam-e-Ibraheem in Kaaba.

Why did Allah swt choose Ibrahim a.s.?  
 
When his Lord said to him, "Submit", he said "I have submitted [in Islam] to the Lord of the worlds." (Surah Baqarah Ayah 131)

He submitted right away without any if and buts, without making any excuses and without asking any questions.

And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [ Allah ] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [ Allah ] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers." (Surah Baqarah Ayah 124)

Ibrahim a.s. attained this status after going through many tests. When Allah swt commanded Ibrahim a.s. to leave his wife Hajar a.s. and Ismael a.s. in the barren desert of Makkah, he did not object to Allah's command but accepted it right away. When Ibrahim a.s. was asked to slaughter his son Ismael a.s., he acted upon it right away. After passing through all the tests with flying colours, Ibrahim a.s. attained the status of being a friend of Allah.

Think about how do we respond to Allah's commandments in Quran and Sunnah! Do we implement them right away? Or do we try to make up excuses for not following them? Or do we think that they can not be applied in our situation as our situation is different? Do we think.........?

   I can not pray because I have a class at that time.
    
    During the exam time, I do not have time to pray.

    I do not have any time to watch Islamic lectures or read Islamic articles.

   It is impossible to fast in such a hot weather.

Are we going to give these excuses to Allah swt when He will question us on the day of Judgment?

Are our situations or tests even comparable to those of Ibrahim a.s.? Alhumdulillah, we are not asked to sacrifice our children or to leave them in a desert. Allah swt only wants us to stop following our never-ending worldly desires. Allah swt wants us to worship Him as He deserves to be worshipped and to follow His commands which are much easier as compared to the commands given to Ibrahim a.s.

Even after being chosen by Allah swt, Ibrahim a.s. did not become arrogant. He stayed humble and submissive. After getting the opportunity of building Kaaba (House of Allah), Ibrahim a.s.did not feel proud or superior but instead he humbly made this dua to Allah swt:

"Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing." (Surah Baqarah 127)

 Think about how do we feel after doing a good deed. We think as we have done a great favour for Allah swt. We start feeling very righteous and pious after doing a single good deed, forgetting the numerous sins we have done in the past. 

We should remember that even the ability to perform a good deed is from Allah swt. So, we should thank Allah swt for giving us the ability (tawfeeq) of doing a good deed, therefore, we should have no pride in it. Instead, we should check our intention behind that deed and we should make dua to Allah swt to accept it and reward it. The companions of Prophet saw used
to fear for the rejection of righteous deeds more than they used to fear for the consequences of sins. The good deed which is not accepted by Allah swt has no worth in the eyes of Allah swt and it is not rewarded. So, no matter how good our deeds are, we should always be renewing our intentions and seeking repentance.

The righteous deed is the one which is done sincerely to earn the pleasure of Allah swt and it is done according to the Sunnah of Prophet saw. If any of these conditions are not met then the deed has no value in the eyes of Allah swt. 

May Allah swt give us ability to perform many righteous deeds! May Allah swt accept our righteous deeds and forgive our sins!
Ameen 

How the Quran should be truely recited?

Those to whom We have given the Book recite it with its true recital. They [are the ones who] believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it - it is they who are the losers. (Baqarah 121)

In this verse, Allah swt is emphasizing the importance of giving full right to the recitation of Quran. According to this ayah, a true believer (Muslim) recites Quran in the way it is supposed to be recited. 

The Arabic word 'tilawah' means recitation followed by understanding and action. The complete tilawah of Quran has 3 components:

1) Recitation of words:  to recite Quran as the Quran was revealed to prophet S.A.W. with correct tajweed, articulation, vowel sounds, etc.

2) Understanding the meaning: to understand the meaning of Quranic text correctly as Allah swt intends.

3) Implementation: to follow the commands of Quran, to refrain from prohibitions and to confirm the truthfulness of information given in Quran.

The complete tilawah includes the above mentioned three aspects. If any of the above aspects is neglected then our tilawah is considered incomplete by Allah swt. According to this ayah, the quality of our tilawah detemines our level of iman.

But unfortunately, we are so busy in fulfilling our worldly desires that we hardly have any time for learning and understanding Quran. This poem reflects the current status of Quran in our lives:

I am a Book in elegant prints
To know my name, here are some hints:
Rich in cover and nicely bound
In hearts of Muslims I am rarely found
High on a shelf I am usually kept
Forgotten and neglected, I am left
With respect I do get lots of kiss
My main point is what they always miss

At times I am used for phoney swear
My true use though is very rare
A Miracle I am that can change the world
All one has to do is heed my word
I am your saviour, I am your guide
So come and take heed, come and abide
I have wisdom, I have treasure
So much so, there is no measure
Right from wrong is my fame
Holy Qur'an is my name

 

Alhumdulillah Allah swt has enabled us to understand the importance of improving our recitation and understanding of Quran. Let us start learning this Book of Allah. it will require a lot of efforts in the beginning, but inshallah, Allah swt will reward us for our efforts, inshAllah.

If we claim to be believers, then we should learn to recite Quran the way it is supposed to be recited with understanding and implementation. May Allah swt enable us to perfect out 'tilawah' of Quran, Ameen!