“Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. 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 Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” [Al-Baqarah: 255]

This is Āyat al-Kursī, and it holds a great status. It has been authentically reported from the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) that it is the greatest verse in the Book of Allāh.

Imām Aḥmad reported:

ʿAbd ar-Razzāq narrated to us, from Sufyān, from Saʿīd al-Jurayrī, from Abū al-Silil, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Rabāḥ, from ʿUbayy (who is ʿUbayy ibn Kaʿb), that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him, “Which verse in the Book of Allāh is the greatest?”

ʿUbayy replied, “Allāh and His Messenger know best.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated the question several times ¹, and then ʿUbayy answered, “Āyat al-Kursī.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Rejoice in your knowledge, O Abū Mundhir! By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it has a tongue and lips that glorify the King at the foot of the Throne.” ²

Muslim also reported this narration through Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah, from ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā, from al-Jurayrī, with the same chain, but without the additional statement: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul…” ³

Abū Yaʿlā al-Mawṣilī reported:

Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Dawraqī narrated to us, from Mubashshir, from al-Awzā‘ī, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from ʿAbdah ibn Abī Lubābah, from ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUbayy ibn Kaʿb, who narrated from his father that he had a storage container of dates (Jurn)⁴, which he would check regularly, only to find that the amount was decreasing.

One night, he stood guard and saw a creature resembling a young boy. The creature greeted him, and he returned the greeting.

He asked, “What are you? A jinn or a human?”

The creature replied, “A jinn.”

ʿUbayy said, “Give me your hand.”

The creature extended its hand, and it felt like a dog’s paw covered in dog fur.

ʿUbayy said, “Is this how all jinn are created?”

The jinn replied, “Indeed, among the jinn, I am one of the strongest.”

ʿUbayy asked, “What drove you to do this?”

The jinn replied, “I heard that you are a man who loves to give charity, so we wanted to benefit from your food.”

ʿUbayy then asked, “What can protect us from you?”

The jinn answered, “This verse—Āyat al-Kursī.”

The next morning, ʿUbayy went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The evil one has spoken the truth.” ⁵

Al-Ḥākim also reported this in his Mustadrak from the narration of Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, from Ḥarb ibn Shaddād, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from al-Ḥaḍramī ibn Lahīq, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿUbayy ibn Kaʿb, from his grandfather. Al-Ḥākim classified it as authentic, though it was not included by Bukhārī and Muslim ⁶.

Imām Aḥmad reported:

Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us, from ʿUthmān ibn Ghiyāth ⁷, who said, “I heard Abū al-Silil say, ‘A man from the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to narrate to people, and when they gathered in large numbers, he would climb onto the roof of a house to address them. He said, “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Which verse in the Qur’ān is the greatest?’”

A man answered, “Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then placed his hand between my shoulders, and I felt its coolness between my chest. Or he said, ‘He placed his hand between my chest, and I felt its coolness between my shoulders.’ Then he said, “Rejoice in your knowledge, O Abū Mundhir!”’” ⁸

al-Ṭabarānī reported:

Abū Yazīd al-Qurṭisī narrated to us, from Yaʿqūb ibn Abī ʿAbād al-Makkī, from Muslim ibn Khalīd, from Ibn Jurayj, who said, “ʿUmar ibn ʿAṭā informed me that the freed slave of Ibn al-ʿAsqaʿ, who was an honest man, reported that Ibn al-ʿAsqaʿ said, ‘The Prophet (peace be upon him) was describing the virtues of the Muhajirūn when someone asked, “O Messenger of Allāh, which is the greatest verse in the Qur’ān?”’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep…”

and he continued reciting Āyat al-Kursī until he finished it.” ⁹

Imam Aḥmad reported:

ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Ḥārith narrated to us, from Salāmah ibn Wardān, from ʿAnas ibn Mālik, who said, “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) asked a man from his companions, ‘O so-and-so, have you married?’

The man replied, ‘No, I do not have the means to marry.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘Do you not have [the surah] Say, “He is Allāh, [who is] One” [al-Ikhlāṣ: 1]?’

The man said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That is one-fourth of the Qur’ān.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked, ‘Do you not have [the surah] Say, “O disbelievers” [al-Kāfirūn: 1]?’

The man said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That is one-fourth of the Qur’ān.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked, ‘Do you not have When the earth is shaken [az-Zalzalah: 1]?’

The man said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That is one-fourth of the Qur’ān.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked, ‘Do you not have When the victory of Allāh has come [an-Naṣr: 1]?’

The man said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That is one-fourth of the Qur’ān.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then asked, ‘Do you not have Āyat al-Kursī, Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining?’

The man said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That is one-fourth of the Qur’ān.’” ¹⁰

Imam Aḥmad reported:

Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāḥ narrated to us, from al-Masʿūdī, from Abū ʿUmar al-Dimashqī, from ʿUbayd al-Khashkhāsh ¹¹, from Abū Dharr (may Allāh be pleased with him), who said, “I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) while he was in the mosque and sat down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me, ‘O Abū Dharr, have you prayed?’

I replied, ‘No.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Stand and pray.’

So, I stood, prayed, and then sat back down.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, ‘O Abū Dharr, seek refuge in Allāh from the evil of the devils among mankind and jinn.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, are there devils among mankind?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Yes.’

I then asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, what about prayer?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘It is the best thing established, whoever wishes to do little of it may do so, and whoever wishes to do more may do so.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, what about fasting?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘It is an obligation that will suffice, and Allāh has more rewards in store.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, what about charity?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘It is multiplied many times over.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, which type is best?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘The effort of a person with little, or a secret charity given to a poor person.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, who was the first Prophet?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Adam.’

I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allāh, was he a Prophet?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Yes, he was a Prophet who received divine speech.’

I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, how many Messengers were there?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Three hundred and some, a great multitude,’ and in another narration: ‘Three hundred and fifteen.’

I then asked, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, which is the greatest verse revealed to you?’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Āyat al-Kursī, Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining…” ¹²

This narration was also reported by al-Nasā’ī.

Imām Aḥmad reported:

Abū Aḥmad narrated to us, from Ṣufayān, from Ibn Abī Laylā, from his brother ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, from Abū Ayyūb, who said, “I had a small storeroom (sahwah) ¹³, and a ghoul ¹⁴ used to come and take from it.

I complained about it to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he said, ‘When you see it, say, “In the name of Allāh, answer the call of the Messenger of Allāh.”’

So, when the ghoul came, I did as instructed and caught it.

The ghoul said, ‘I will not return!’

But I let it go ¹⁵. The next morning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘What happened to your captive?’

I said, ‘I caught it, but it promised not to return, so I released it.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, ‘It will come back.’

The same thing happened twice or three times, and each time the ghoul promised not to return. The Prophet (peace be upon him) kept saying, ‘It will come back.’

Finally, I caught it again ¹⁶, and this time it said, ‘Let me go, and I will teach you something that will protect you. Read Āyat al-Kursī before you sleep, and nothing will harm you until morning.’

I informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) about this, and he said, ‘It has spoken the truth, though it is a liar.’” ¹⁷

This ḥadīth was also reported by al-Tirmidhī, who classified it as ḥasan gharīb ¹⁸.

Imām al-Bukhārī narrated in multiple places in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Book of the Virtues of the Qur’ān, Book of Waqfs, and the Description of Shayṭān):

ʿUthmān ibn al-Ḥaytham Abū ʿAmr reported to us, from ʿAwf, from Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, from Abū Hurayrah, who said, “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) appointed me to guard the zakāt of Ramaḍān. One night, someone came and started taking from the food. I caught him and said, ‘By Allāh, I will take you to the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him)!’

The man pleaded, ‘I am in need, I have dependents, and I am in great hardship.’

So, I let him go. In the morning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘O Abū Hurayrah, what did your prisoner do last night?’

I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, he complained of need and hardship, so I took pity on him and let him go.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘He lied to you, and he will return.’

So I knew he would return again as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘He will return.’ I waited for him the next night, and he returned to steal again. I caught him and said, ‘This is the last time! I will take you to the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) for sure!’

The man then said, ‘Let me go, and I will teach you something that will benefit you. If you recite Āyat al-Kursī, Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining…, before you sleep, Allāh will assign a protector for you, and no devil will approach you until morning.’

So, I let him go. The next morning, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘What did your prisoner do last night?’

I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, he claimed to teach me something beneficial, so I let him go.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, ‘What did he teach you?’

I replied, ‘He told me to recite Āyat al-Kursī, Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining…, before sleeping, and that Allāh would send a guardian for me, and no devil would come near me until morning.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said, ‘He has spoken the truth, though he is a liar. O Abū Hurayrah, do you know who has been speaking to you these past three nights?’

I said, ‘No, O Messenger of Allāh.’

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘That was Shayṭān!’”

This is how al-Bukhārī narrated it as a mu‘allaq (suspended) ḥadīth with decisive wording ¹⁹.

Al-Nasā’ī reported this ḥadīth in al-Yawm wa al-Laylah through Ibrāhīm ibn Ya‘qūb, from ʿUthmān ibn al-Ḥaytham. It has also been reported through another chain from Abū Hurayrah with a similar narration.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr ibn Mardawayh said in his Tafsīr:

Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmrawayh al-Ṣaffār narrated to us, from Aḥmad ibn Zuhayr ibn Ḥarb, from Muslim ibn Ibrāhīm, from Ismā‘īl ibn Muslim al-‘Abdī, from Abū al-Mutawakkil al-Nājī, that Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) was entrusted with the key to the charity house, which contained dates. One day, he went to open the door and found that a handful of dates had been taken.

The next day, he entered again and found that another handful was missing.

On the third day, he found the same thing happening. So, Abū Hurayrah reported this to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said, “Do you want to catch the culprit?”

Abū Hurayrah replied, “Yes.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When you open the door, say, ‘Glory be to the One who has made you subservient to Muḥammad.’”

So, Abū Hurayrah went and opened the door, saying, “Glory be to the One who has made you subservient to Muḥammad.”

Suddenly, he found a figure standing before him. Abū Hurayrah said, “O enemy of Allāh, are you the one responsible for this?”

The figure replied, “Yes. Let me go, and I will not return. I was only taking for a household among the jinn who are poor.”

Abū Hurayrah released him. But the next day, the culprit returned and stole again. Then, on the third day, he was caught once more.

Abū Hurayrah said, “Did you not promise me that you would not come back? This time, I will not let you go until I take you to the Prophet (peace be upon him).”

The figure pleaded, “Do not do that. If you let me go, I will teach you some words—if you say them, no jinn, whether young or old, male or female, will come near you.”

Abū Hurayrah asked, “Will you truly do so?”

The figure said, “Yes.”

Abū Hurayrah asked, “What are these words?”

The figure replied, ‘Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining…’ and recited Āyat al-Kursī until its completion.

So, Abū Hurayrah let him go, and the figure disappeared. Later, Abū Hurayrah mentioned this to the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said, “Did you not know that he spoke the truth?” ²⁰

Al-Nasā’ī also reported this ḥadīth through Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, from Shu‘ayb ibn Ḥarb, from Ismā‘īl ibn Muslim, from Abū al-Mutawakkil, from Abū Hurayrah ²¹.

A similar incident was previously reported from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b as well, making this the third such occurrence.

Abū ʿUbayd narrated in Gharīb al-Ḥadīth:

Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us, from Abū ʿĀṣim al-Thaqafī, from al-Sha‘bī, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, who said, “A man from among the humans went out and encountered a man from the jinn, who said to him, ‘Would you like to wrestle me? If you defeat me, I will teach you a verse—if you recite it when you enter your house, no shayṭān will enter it.’

So the man wrestled him and defeated him. Then he said, ‘I see you are frail and thin ²², as if your arms are like a dog’s. Are all of you jinn like this, or are you different from them?’

The jinn replied, ‘Among them, I am actually quite strong.’

The man wrestled him again and defeated him. The jinn then said, ‘Recite Āyat al-Kursī, for no one recites it when entering their house except that the shayṭān flees, letting out a sound like the braying of a donkey.’

It was then asked of Ibn Masʿūd, ‘Was that ʿUmar?’

He replied, ‘Who else could it be but ʿUmar?’”

Abū ʿUbayd said, “ḍa’īl means thin-bodied, and khubkh (with a dotted khā’)—or as some say, with an undotted ḥā’—refers to flatulence.” ²³

al-Ḥākim reported in al-Mustadrak:

ʿAlī ibn Ḥamshādh narrated to us, from Bishr ibn Mūsā, from al-Ḥumaydī, from Ṣufayān, from Ḥakīm ibn Jubayr al-Asadī, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, “In Sūrat al-Baqarah, there is a verse that is the chief (Sayyidah) ²⁴ of all the verses in the Qur’ān. It is not recited in a house where Shayṭān is present except that he flees: Āyat al-Kursī.”

al-Ḥākim then said, “Its chain is authentic, though it was not recorded by al-Bukhārī or Muslim.” ²⁵

This ḥadīth was also reported by al-Tirmidhī from the narration of Zā’idah, who said:

“Everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur’ān is Sūrat al-Baqarah. In it, there is a verse that is the chief (Sayyidah) of all verses in the Qur’ān: Āyat al-Kursī.”

al-Tirmidhī classified it as gharīb (uncommon) and noted that it is only known through Ḥakīm ibn Jubayr, who was criticized by some scholars. ²⁶

Likewise, Aḥmad, Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn, and more than one of the imām(s) weakened it. Ibn Mahdī abandoned it, and al-Saʿdī called him a liar.

Ibn Marduwayh reported:

ʿAbd al-Bāqī ibn Qāniʿ ²⁷ narrated to us, from ʿĪsā ibn Muḥammad al-Marwazī, from ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad al-Bukhārī, from ʿĪsā ²⁸ ibn Mūsā ibn Ghanjar, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Kaysān ²⁹, from Yaḥyā ibn ʿAqīl, from Yaḥyā ibn Yaʿmur, from Ibn ʿUmar, from ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, who went out one day to the people while they were sitting in rows (samāṭāt) ³⁰. He said, “Who among you can tell me which is the greatest verse in the Qur’ān?”

Ibn Masʿūd stood up and said, “You have asked one who is knowledgeable about it. I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) say, ‘The greatest verse in the Qur’ān is: Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining… (Āyat al-Kursī).’”

Imām Aḥmad reported:

Muḥammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, from ʿUbaydullāh ibn Abī Ziyād, from Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, from Asmā’ bint Yazīd ibn al-Sakan, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) say about these two verses, ‘Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining…’ (Āyat al-Kursī, al-Baqarah: 255), and ‘Alif, Lām, Mīm. Allāh – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining’ (Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 1–2). Indeed, in them is the Greatest Name of Allāh.’” ³¹

Ibn Marduwayh reported:

Muḥammad ibn Muḥraz ibn Masāwar al-ʿĀdimī reported to us, from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, from al-Ḥusayn ibn Bishr in Ṭarsūs, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥumayr, from Muḥammad ibn Ziyād, from Abū Umāmah, who said, “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death.’”

This ḥadīth was also recorded by al-Nasā’ī in ‘Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah and by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ, who noted that it meets the conditions of Imām al-Bukhārī ³².

Abū al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzī claimed that it is a fabricated ḥadīth ³³, and Allāh knows best. Ibn Marduwayh narrated something similar to this ḥadīth from the narration of ʿAlī, al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah, and Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh, but there is weakness in the chain of transmission of each of them.

Ibn Marduwayh also reported:

Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Ziyād al-Muqriʿ narrated to us, from Yaḥyā ibn Durustawīh ³⁴ al-Marwazī, from Ziyād ibn Ibrāhīm, from Abū Ḥamzah al-Sukrī, from al-Muthannā, from Qatādah, from al-Ḥasan, from Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said, “Allāh revealed to Mūsā (peace be upon him), ‘Recite Āyat al-Kursī after every obligatory prayer. Whoever does so, I will grant him the heart of those who are grateful, the tongue of those who remember, the reward of the prophets, and the deeds of the truthful ones. None will persist in reciting it except a prophet, a truthful one, or a martyr.’”

This narration has been classified as very weak (munkar jiddan) due to the presence of unreliable narrators ³⁵.

al-Tirmidhī reported:

Yaḥyā ibn al-Mughīrah Abū Salamah al-Makhzūmī narrated to us, from Ibn Abī Fudayk, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Milakī, from Zurārah ibn Musʿab, from Abū Salamah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said, “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Whoever recites Ḥā Mīm until to Him is the destination [Sūrat Ghāfir: 1–3] and Āyat al-Kursī in the morning will be protected until evening. And whoever recites them in the evening will be protected until morning.’”

This is a strange ḥadīth, and some scholars have spoken about ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Bakr ibn Abī Malakah al-Mālikī, due to his memory ³⁶.

There are other ḥadīths that have been reported about its merits, which we have left out for the sake of brevity due to their lack of authenticity and the weakness of their chains of transmission, such as the ḥadīth of ʿAlī about reciting it during cupping—that it takes the place of two cuppings—and the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah about writing it on the left hand with saffron seven times and licking it to memorize and not forget, both of which were reported by Ibn Marduwayh and others.

The verse contains ten independent statements, and each carries profound theological meanings.

“Allāh – there is no deity except Him” — Affirmation of His sole divinity, with none deserving worship but Him.

“the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining” — He is eternally alive, whose life is perfect and everlasting, and He sustains and maintains all of creation. It’s noted that ʿUmar used to recite “al-Qayyūm” as “al-Qiyām” ³⁷. All creation is dependent upon Him while He is self-sufficient, sustaining everything by His command, as stated in: “And of His signs is that the heaven and earth stand [i.e., remain] by His command” [Ar-Rūm: 25].

“Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep” — He is not affected by any deficiency, heedlessness, or distraction from His creation. Rather, He is ever-watchful over every soul for what it earns—a witness over all things. Nothing is hidden from Him, nor is anything concealed from His knowledge. As part of His perfect self-sustaining authority (Qayyūmiyyah), He is not overtaken by drowsiness or sleep. His saying ‘Neither drowsiness overtakes Him’ means that drowsiness (the initial stage of sleepiness or light slumber) does not overpower Him. That is why He then said ‘nor sleep,’ because sleep is a stronger and deeper state than drowsiness.

In the authentic narration, from Abū Mūsā, he said:

The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) stood among us and said four statements, “Indeed, Allāh does not sleep, nor is it befitting for Him to sleep. He lowers the scales of justice and raises them. The deeds of the day are presented to Him before the deeds of the night, and the deeds of the night before the deeds of the day. His veil is light (or fire); if He were to unveil it, the radiance of His Face would burn everything His sight reaches from His creation.” ³⁸

ʿAbd ar-Razzāq said:

Maʿmar informed us, who said, “al-Ḥakam ibn ʿAban informed me from Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn ʿAbbās, regarding Allāh’s statement: ‘Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep’ — that Mūsā (peace be upon him) asked the angels, “Does Allāh, the Almighty and Exalted, sleep?” So Allāh revealed to the angels and commanded them to keep Mūsā awake for three days and not allow him to sleep. They did so, then gave him two glass vessels and told him to hold them—warning him not to break them. Mūsā held one vessel in each hand. He began to feel drowsy and would be awakened repeatedly until he finally dozed off, causing one vessel to strike the other and break them. This is merely a parable that Allāh, the Almighty, has set forth, meaning that the heavens and the earth are in His Hand in the same way.”

Ibn Jarīr also narrated it from al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā from ʿAbd ar-Razzāq… and mentioned it ³⁹. This is from the reports of the Children of Israel (Isra’iliyyat), and it is known that such a matter would not be hidden from Mūsā (peace be upon him) regarding Allāh, the Almighty and Exalted, as He is far above such attributes.

Even more unusual than all of this is the ḥadīth narrated by Ibn Jarīr:

Isḥāq ibn Abī Isrā'īl narrated to us, from Hishām ibn Yūsuf, from ʿUmayyah ibn Shibl, from al-Ḥakam ibn ʿAban, from Ikrimah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) recounting on the pulpit about Mūsā (peace be upon him). He said, ‘A thought occurred to Mūsā; does Allāh sleep? So Allāh sent an angel to him who kept him awake for three days. Then the angel gave him two glass vessels, one in each hand, and instructed him to guard them carefully. Mūsā began to feel drowsy, and as his hands started to come together, he would wake up and steady the vessels ⁴⁰. Finally, he fell into a deep sleep, and his hands struck together, causing the vessels to break. Allāh, the Almighty, gave this parable to show that if Allāh were to sleep, the heavens and the earth would not remain in order.’” ⁴¹

This is a very strange ḥadīth, and the apparent view is that it is of Isrāʾīli origin—not an authentic narration (marfūʿ) traced back to the Prophet. And Allāh knows best.

Ibn Abī Ḥātim said:

Aḥmad ibn al-Qāsim ibn ʿAtiyyah narrated to us, from Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān al-Dashtakī, from his father who narrated to him from his father, from Ashʿath ibn Isḥāq, from Jaʿfar ibn Abī al-Mughīrah, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Children of Israel said to Mūsā (peace be upon him), “Does your Lord sleep?”

He replied, “Fear Allāh!”

Then his Lord, the Almighty and Exalted, called out to him, “O Mūsā, they have asked you whether your Lord sleeps. Take two glass vessels in your hands and stay up through the night.”

Mūsā did so. When a third of the night had passed, he became drowsy and fell to his knees but then regained his composure and held the vessels firmly. As the night neared its end, he became drowsy again, and the glass vessels fell from his hands and broke.

Allāh said, “O Mūsā, if I were to sleep, the heavens and the earth would collapse and be destroyed, just as the glass vessels were destroyed in your hands.”

Then Allāh, the Almighty, revealed to His Prophet (peace be upon him) Āyat al-Kursī. ⁴²

“To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.” — Everything is under His dominion and control, His slaves and under His command, as echoed in, “There is no one in the heavens and earth but that he comes to the Most Merciful as a servant. He has enumerated them and counted them a [full] counting. And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.” [Maryam: 93–95]. And, “And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allāh has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.” [An-Najm: 26]. And, “and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves.” [al-Anbiyā’: 28].

Demonstrating His supreme authority and majesty—Exalted and Glorified is He—none can intercede unless He grants permission, as mentioned in the ḥadīth of Intercession, “I will come under the Throne and fall in prostration. Allāh will leave me there as long as He wills. Then it will be said, ‘Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, ask and you will be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.’ Then He will set a limit for me, and I will admit them into Paradise.” ⁴³

“He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them.” — Allāh’s knowledge encompasses all things, past, present, and future. This is similar to His words regarding the angels, “[Jibrīl said], ‘And we [angels] descend not except by the order of your Lord. To Him belongs that before us and that behind us and what is in between. And never is your Lord forgetful.’” [Maryam: 64].

“And they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills.” — No one has knowledge of anything of His knowledge except what He Allāh, the Almighty, has taught them and informed them of. It is also possible that the intended meaning is that they cannot comprehend anything of the knowledge of His Ḏāt and Attributes, except what Allāh has made known to them—just as He says, “But they do not encompass it [i.e., what He knows] in knowledge.” [Ṭā Ḥā: 110]

“His Kursī Extends Over the Heavens and the Earth” — Ibn Abī Ḥātim said:

Abū Saʿīd al-Ashajj narrated to us, from Muṭarrif ibn Ṭarīf, from Jaʿfar ibn Abī al-Mughīrah, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās regarding Allāh’s statement, “His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth.” He said, “It refers to His knowledge.”

Similarly, Ibn Jarīr narrated this from ʿAbdullāh ibn Idrīs and Ḥushaym, both from Muṭarrif ibn Ṭarīf with the same chain. Ibn Abī Ḥātim also reported from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr a similar interpretation. [46]

Then Ibn Jarīr said, “Others have said that the Kursī is the footstool.” He narrated this from Abū Mūsā, al-Suddī, al-Ḍaḥḥāk, and Muslim al-Bāṭin. [47]

Shujaʿ ibn Mukhlad, in his Tafsīr, said:

Abū ʿĀṣim narrated to us from Ṣufayān, from ʿAmmār al-Duhnī, from Muslim al-Bāṭin, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about Allāh’s statement: ‘His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth.’

He replied, ‘His Kursī is the place of His feet, and none can estimate the greatness of the Throne except Allāh, the Almighty.’”

This ḥadīth was also mentioned by the scholar Abū Bakr ibn Mardawayh through the chain of Shujaʿ ibn Mukhlad al-Fallās, though it contains an error. [48]

This narration was also reported by Wakiʿ in his Tafsīr:

Ṣufayān narrated to us, from ʿAmmār al-Duhnī, from Muslim al-Bāṭin, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said, “The Kursī is the place of the feet, and no one can estimate the greatness of the Throne.” [49]

It was also narrated by al-Ḥākim in his al-Mustadrak from Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Maḥbūbī, from Muḥammad ibn Muʿādh, from Abū ʿĀṣim, from Ṣufayān (i.e., Ṣufayān al-Thawrī) with his chain of narration from Ibn ʿAbbās, as a mawqūf (narration stopped at the companion without direct attribution to the Prophet) report with the same wording. al-Ḥākim said, “It is authentic according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhārī and Muslim), but they did not include it in their collections.” [50]

Ibn Mardawayh also narrated it through the chain of al-Ḥākim ibn Zuhayr al-Ghazārī al-Kūfī—who is considered unreliable—from al-Suddī, from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, as a marfūʿ (attributed to the Prophet) narration, though it is not authentic.

al-Suddī reported from Abū Mālik, “The Kursī is beneath the Throne.” [51] He also said, “The heavens and the earth are within the Kursī, and the Kursī is in front of the Throne.” [52]

al-Ḍaḥḥāk reported from Ibn ʿAbbās, “If the seven heavens and the seven earths were spread out and joined together, they would not compare to the Kursī except like a ring in a vast desert.” This was also narrated by Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Ḥātim. [53]

Ibn Jarīr said:

Yūnus narrated to me, from Ibn Wahb, from Ibn Zayd, from his father, that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, “The seven heavens, in comparison to the Kursī, are like seven coins thrown into a large shield.”

Abū Dharr also said, “I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) say, ‘The Kursī, in comparison to the Throne (ʿArsh), is like a small iron ring thrown in the middle of a vast open desert.’” [54]

Abū Bakr ibn Mardawayh said:

Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad narrated to us, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Wahb al-Ghāzī, from Muḥammad ibn Abī al-Sarī al-ʿAsqalānī, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Tamīmī, from al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad al-Thaqafī, from Abū Idrīs al-Khawlānī, from Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī, that he asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the Kursī. The Messenger of Allāh replied, “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, the seven heavens and the seven earths, in comparison to the Kursī, are like a small ring thrown in a vast open desert. And the superiority of the Throne over the Kursī is like the superiority of the desert over that small ring.” [55]

al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Yaʿlā al-Mawṣilī narrated in his Musnad:

Zuhayr narrated to us, from Ibn Abī Bukayr; Isrā’īl narrated, from Abū Isḥāq, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Khalīfah, from ʿUmar, who said, “A woman came to the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) and said, ‘Supplicate to Allāh to admit me into Paradise.’

The Prophet glorified the Lord, Blessed and Exalted, and said, ‘Indeed, His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and it creaks like the creaking of a new saddle due to its heaviness.’” [56]

This narration was also reported by al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bazzār in his well-known Musnad, and by ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd and Ibn Jarīr in their respective commentaries (Tafsīr), as well as by al-Ṭabarānī and Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim in their books on Sunnah, and by al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Ḍiyā’ in his al-Mukhtār. They all narrated it through the chain of Abū Isḥāq al-Sabīʿī, from ʿAbdullāh ibn Khalīfah—though this narrator is not very well known, and there is uncertainty regarding his direct transmission from ʿUmar. Some narrate it from him as a mawqūf narration (stopped at ʿUmar), while others narrate it as mursal (with a gap in the chain), and some versions contain additional strange details while others omit them.

Even more peculiar is the narration of Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim regarding the description of the Throne, as reported by Abū Dāwūd in the Book of Sunnah within his Sunan. And Allāh knows best.

Ibn Mardawayh and others have narrated various ḥadīths from Buraydah, Jābir, and others concerning the setting up of the Kursī on the Day of Judgment for the purpose of settling judgments. Apparently, this is different from what is mentioned in this verse.

Some scholars of Islamic cosmology claimed that the Kursī is the eighth celestial sphere—which contains the fixed stars—and above it is the ninth sphere, known as the ether or the atlas sphere. However, others have refuted this claim.

Ibn Jarīr also narrated through the chain of Juwaybir from al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī that he used to say, “The Kursī is the Throne.” [57]

However, the correct view is that the Kursī is distinct from the Throne, and the Throne is greater than the Kursī, as indicated by various narrations and reports. Ibn Jarīr relied on the narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn Khalīfah from ʿUmar regarding this, though I have reservations about its authenticity. And Allāh knows best.

“And their preservation tires Him not.”
— The preservation of the heavens and the earth—and all that is within and between them—does not burden or exhaust Him. Rather, it is easy for Him, effortless in His sight. He is the One who sustains every soul according to what it has earned, the Watchful over all things. Nothing escapes His knowledge, nor is anything hidden from Him. All things are insignificant, humble, and small in comparison to Him; they are in need and dependent, while He is Self-Sufficient (al-Ghanī), doing whatever He wills. He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned. He is the Subduer (al-Qahhār) over all things, the Reckoner (al-Ḥāsib) for everything, the Watchful (ar-Raqīb), the Most High (al-ʿAlīyy), the Most Great (al-ʿAẓīm). There is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and no Lord besides Him.

“And He is the Most High, the Most Great.”
— This is similar to His words: “And He is the Most Great, the Most Exalted.”

As for these verses and the authentic ḥadīths with similar meanings, the best approach is that of the righteous predecessors (as-ṣalaf as-ṣāliḥ): to accept them as they have come without delving into how (that is, without questioning or attempting to describe their nature) and without making comparisons (tashbīh) to created things.

— Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-ʿAẓīm, Surah al-Baqarah 2:255