Ayatul Kursi

Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 255: Arabic text, word by word, transliteration, translation and audio

Ayatul Kursi: verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqarah (surah 2), in juz 3, page 42 of the Madani Mushaf. 50 words, 1 min 49 s of listening with al-Husary. Here: the Arabic text with color-coded tajweed, word by word with audio for each word, transliteration, translation and meaning.

The Arabic text of Ayatul Kursi

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿٢٥٥﴾

allāhu lā 'ilāha 'illā huwa l-ḥayyu l-qayyūm | lā ta'khudhuhū sinatuw walā nawm | lahū mā fi s-samāwāti wamā fi l-arḍ | man dha lladhī yashfaʿu ʿindahū 'illā bi'idhnih | yaʿlamu mā bayna 'aydīhim wamā khalfahum | walā yuḥīṭūna bishay'im min ʿilmihī 'illā bimā shā' | wasiʿa kursiyyuhu s-samāwāti wal-arḍ | walā ya'ūduhū ḥifẓuhumā | wahuwa l-ʿaliyyu l-ʿaẓīm

Recitation: al-Husary (al-Mushaf al-Mu'allim)

In the transliteration, “|”: the reciter stops; “·”: sakt, a brief cut without taking a breath.

Ayatul Kursi word by word

Tap ▶ to hear the word in context.

Verse 255: 50 words
No. Word Transliteration Meaning Listen Rules
1 ٱللَّهُ allāhu Allah —
2 لَآ lā (there is) no Madd Munfasil
3 إِلَـٰهَ 'ilāha God Madd Tabee'ee
4 إِلَّا 'illā except —
5 هُوَ huwa Him —
6 ٱلْحَىُّ l-ḥayyu the Ever-Living Hamzat al-Wasl
7 ٱلْقَيُّومُ l-qayyūm the Sustainer of all that exists Hamzat al-Wasl
8 لَا lā Not —
9 تَأْخُذُهُۥ ta'khudhuhū overtakes Him Madd Tabee'ee
10 سِنَةٌ sinatuw slumber Idgham with Ghunnah
11 وَلَا walā [and] not —
12 نَوْمٌ nawm sleep Idgham without Ghunnah
13 لَّهُۥ lahū To Him (belongs) Madd Tabee'ee
14 مَا mā what(ever) —
15 فِى fi (is) in —
16 ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ s-samāwāti the heavens Hamzat al-WaslLam ShamsiyyahMadd Tabee'ee
17 وَمَا wamā and what(ever) —
18 فِى fi (is) in —
19 ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍ the earth Hamzat al-Wasl
20 مَن man Who Ikhfa
21 ذَا dha (is) the one —
22 ٱلَّذِى lladhī who Hamzat al-Wasl
23 يَشْفَعُ yashfaʿu can intercede —
24 عِندَهُۥٓ ʿindahū with Him IkhfaMadd Munfasil
25 إِلَّا 'illā except —
26 بِإِذْنِهِۦ bi'idhnih by His permission Madd Tabee'ee
27 يَعْلَمُ yaʿlamu He knows —
28 مَا mā what —
29 بَيْنَ bayna (is) —
30 أَيْدِيهِمْ 'aydīhim before them —
31 وَمَا wamā and what —
32 خَلْفَهُمْ khalfahum (is) behind them —
33 وَلَا walā And not —
34 يُحِيطُونَ yuḥīṭūna they encompass —
35 بِشَىْءٍ bishay'im anything Idgham with Ghunnah
36 مِّنْ min of —
37 عِلْمِهِۦٓ ʿilmihī His Knowledge Madd Munfasil
38 إِلَّا 'illā except —
39 بِمَا bimā [of] what —
40 شَآءَ shā' He willed Madd Muttasil
41 وَسِعَ wasiʿa Extends —
42 كُرْسِيُّهُ kursiyyuhu His Seat —
43 ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ s-samāwāti (to) the heavens Hamzat al-WaslLam ShamsiyyahMadd Tabee'ee
44 وَٱلْأَرْضَ wal-arḍ and the earth Hamzat al-Wasl
45 وَلَا walā And not —
46 يَـُٔودُهُۥ ya'ūduhū tires Him Madd Tabee'ee
47 حِفْظُهُمَا ḥifẓuhumā (the) guarding of both of them —
48 وَهُوَ wahuwa And He —
49 ٱلْعَلِىُّ l-ʿaliyyu (is) the Most High Hamzat al-Wasl
50 ٱلْعَظِيمُ l-ʿaẓīm the Most Great Hamzat al-WaslMadd at a stop

Ayatul Kursi in English

2:255

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.

Whose life is perfect, complete and eternal, without beginning or end, and through whom all created life originated and continues.

Dependent on none for His existence while being the sustainer and administrator of all created existence.

Allāh's knowledge encompasses every aspect of His creations in the past, present and future.

Chair or footstool. It is not to be confused with al-ʿArsh (the Throne), which is infinitely higher and greater than al-Kursī.

Above all of His creations and superior to them in essence, rank and position.

Whose greatness is unlimited, beyond description or imagination.

The meaning of Ayatul Kursi

Verse 255

Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.

Your turn: recite Ayatul Kursi

Tajweed rules in Ayatul Kursi

30 color-coded rules, from most to least frequent
RuleCountWords
Hamzat al-Wasl 9
Madd Tabee'ee 9
Madd Munfasil 3
Idgham with Ghunnah 2
Ikhfa 2
Lam Shamsiyyah 2
Idgham without Ghunnah 1
Madd at a stop 1
Madd Muttasil 1

Memorize Ayatul Kursi

Split at the Mushaf’s pause marks.

  1. Part 1 ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ
  2. Part 2 لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ
  3. Part 3 لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ
  4. Part 4 مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ
  5. Part 5 يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ
  6. Part 6 وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ
  7. Part 7 وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ
  8. Part 8 وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ
  9. Part 9 وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Which word is missing? 1/3

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ … هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ

Which word is missing? 2/3

يَعْلَمُ مَا … أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ

Which word is missing? 3/3

وَهُوَ … ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Frequently asked questions

Where in the Quran is Ayatul Kursi?

In Surah Al-Baqarah (surah 2): verse 255, juz 3, page 42 of the Madani Mushaf.

How many words are in Ayatul Kursi?

Ayatul Kursi: 50 Arabic words, counted word by word in the Mushaf text.

How long does it take to listen to Ayatul Kursi?

Listening to Ayatul Kursi takes 1 min 49 s with al-Husary's teaching recitation (al-Mushaf al-Mu'allim), slower than a usual recitation.

Which tajweed rules are in Ayatul Kursi?

On this page, 30 rules are color-coded in Ayatul Kursi. The most frequent: Hamzat al-Wasl (9), Madd Tabee'ee (9) and Madd Munfasil (3).

How can I check my recitation of Ayatul Kursi?

Open its surah in the Tilawa app and recite Ayatul Kursi out loud: the app follows every word, then shows you what to work on, pronunciation and tajweed, with the correct recitation to replay.

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