Aya Kursi

I think it’s safe to say that aya Kursi is one of the most read statements in the Quran… it clearly and straightforwardly describes our Creator in a single statement which is easy for anyone to understand…

سورة البقرة ٢٥٥
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

Surah Al Baqara 255
Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).

A certain focus

On reading the statement, you will soon see a focus on one specific point, the matter is repeated… let’s put it together and pay special attention to the underlined… No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them…

While this aya generally and quite beautifully describes His boundless and inexhaustible Power… it does something more than that… it corrects.
Like it’s a nudge to previous scriptures… poking at an explanation of our world’s beginning that is very similar to the Quran, with one exception…

ﺗﻜﻮﻳﻦ ٢:٢-١
اليَوْمُ السَّابعُ: الرَّاحَة
وَهَكَذَا أُكْمِلَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأرْضُ وَكُلُّ مَا فِيهِا.
وَفِي اليَوْمِ السَّابِعِ، فَرَغَ اللهُ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ الَّذِي أنجَزَهُ. وَفِي اليَوْمِ السَّابِعِ اسْتَرَاحَ مِنْ كُلِّ عَمَلِهِ الَّذِي أنجَزَهُ.

Genesis 2:1-2
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.

سورة فاطر ١٥
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ

سورة القصص ٧٣
وَمِن رَّحْمَتِهِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لِتَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

سورة الرحمن ٣٠-٢٩
يَسْأَلُهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Surah Faatir 35:15
O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah: but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.

Surah Al-Qasas 28:73
It is out of His Mercy that He has made for you Night and Day,- that ye may rest therein, and that ye may seek of his Grace;- and in order that ye may be grateful.

Surah Ar-Rahmaan 55:29-30
Of Him seeks (its need) every creature in the heavens and on earth: every day in (new) Splendour doth He (shine)!
Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

All of this beautifully summed up by aya Kursi. But if we see it as a corrective statement, aya Kursi does more… it also brings attention to the following three ayat…

سورة الكهف ١
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجًا

سورة يونس ٣٧
وَمَا كَانَ هَـٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ أَن يُفْتَرَىٰ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

سورة النحل ٦٤
وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۙ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Surah Al-Kahf 18:1
Praise be to Allah, Who hath sent to His Servant the Book, and hath allowed therein no Crookedness:

Surah Yunus 10:37
This Qur’an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book – wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the worlds.

Surah An-Nahl 16:64
And We sent down the Book to thee for the express purpose, that thou shouldst make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.

Aya Kursi beautifully connects to all of it… in one single statement…
But while aya Kursi can be seen as a correction, I also feel it is important to point out that it is just that… corrective… not an accusation.

سورة البقرة ٦٢
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Surah Al-Baqara 2:62
Those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

And who can be a better judge than Allah?
I feel it suitable to conclude this input by sharing a recital of aya Kursi, beautifully recited by Islam Sobhi, (which you can also find on this page).

The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.