A brief explanation of Aqeedah Al-Wasitiyyah - Part 4

By Amatullah Aminah

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5

Bismillah

The Ayat Al-Kursi 

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. [Surah Al Baqrah 2:255] 

Not all the verses in the Quran are given a name but due to its significance and excellence, this verse was given the name ‘Ayat Al-Kursi’ or the verse of the footstool or chair and sometimes even known as verse of the throne. In the previous parts of this series we have observed how Allah’s Names and Attributes should be understood. Anthropomorphic deductions are severely condemned in understanding Allah’s Attributes hence the word ‘kursi’ cannot be taken literally. 

Existence of a physical and real kursi would imply that Allah has some kind of physical shape and the rest can be trusted to the conjectures of a wild human imagination. Hence ‘kursi’ is best understood, by the majority of scholars, as ‘Allah’s Dominion’ and in some narrations as ‘Allah’s Knowledge’. Allah’s Dominion encompasses His vast and infinite Knowledge of everything, it speaks of His Sovereignty and Power- the power to which everything, known and unknown to us, subjects itself.

A few hadith or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allaahu alayhi wasallam) highlight the virtues of Ayat Al Kursi:

Its Excellence

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam asked “O Ubayy! What is the most excellent verse of the Quran?” Ubayy replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “In your opinion, what is the most excellent verse of the Quran?” Ubayy bin Ka‘b replied, “Allah – There is no god but He”(i.e. Ayat al-Kursi). The Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) placed his hand on his chest and said, “O Ubayy bin Ka‘b! May your knowledge be pleasant for you.” [1] 

Asma’ bint Yazid (may Allah be pleased with her) reported, “I heard the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam say about these two following Ayahs, i.e, verses: ‘Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. [2:255], And, Alif Lam Mim, Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal [3:1-2], That they contain Allah’s Greatest Name.’ ” [Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal in his Musnad] 

Everything has its pinnacle and the pinnacle of the Quran is Surah al-Baqarah. In it there is an ayah which is the greatest in the Qur’an: Ayat al-Kursi. [at-Tirmidhi] 

Protective power

The Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever recites Ayat Al- Kursi immediately after each prescribed prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.” [an-Nasa'i and Ibn Hibban] 

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: “In Surat Al-Baqarah there is a verse which is the best of all the verses of the Qur’an. It is never recited in a house but Shaitan leaves: Ayat Al-Kursi.”

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To be continued....
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References 
[1][Sahih Muslim: Fada’il al-Qur’an, under Surat al-Kahf & Ayat al-Kursi. Imam Muslim] 

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