About

The Throne Verse (Arabic: آية الكرسي ‎ ʾāyatu-l-kursī), or Ayatul Kursi, is 255th verse (ayah) of the second chapter (sura) Al-Baqara. It is the most famous verse of the Qur'an and is widely memorized and displayed in the Islamic world due to its emphatic description of God's power over the entire universe.

While not all verses in the Quran carry a specific name, this one was given the name 'Ayat Al-Kursi' (Kursi: literally a footstool or chair, and sometimes translated as the Throne.) The Kursi mentioned in this Verse should be distinguished from the 'Arsh (Throne) mentioned in V 7:52, 10:3, 85:15 and elsewhere. Muhammad said: "The Kursi compared to the 'Arsh is nothing but like a ring thrown out upon open space of the desert." If the Kursi extends over the entire universe, then how much greater is the 'Arsh. It is narrated from Muhammad bin 'Abdullah and from other religious scholars that the Kursi is in front of the 'Arsh (Throne) and it is the at the level of the Feet." Another opinion preferred by Tabari, Sufyan al-Thawri in their exegesis, in the Mufradat by Raghib and narrated by Bukhari as the opinion of Saeed ibn Jubayr, interprets Kursi as "Allah's Knowledge (Ilm)". Islamic religious belief holds that anyone who recites the verse enters the protection and security of God. Commonly, it is recited by Muslims before they go to sleep.

Ayat Al-Kursi displays a perfect internal symmetry comprised of concentric looping verses surrounding a pivotal chiasm 'x' of the type A B C D X D' C' B' A' The reciter imagines him or herself walking through Ayat Al-Kursi until reaching the centre and seeing what is in front and what is behind, finds they represent a perfect reflection of each other. The central chiasm is represented by "Ya'lamu ma baina aidihim wa ma khalfahum = He knows what is before them and what is behind them" this is flanked symmetrically outwards so that A corresponds to A', B corresponds to B' and so forth.. For example line 3 "he is the lord of the heavens and the earth" corresponds exactly to line 7 "his throne extends over heavens and earth".

There is a slight difference of opinion as to whether to follow Ayatul Kursi with verses 256 and 257 though this is not usually performed.