:Virtues and Importance

​

عن النبي (ص) ان أعظم آية في القرآن آية الكرسي (۱) فِيهَا خَمْسُونَ كَلِمَةً فِي كُلِّ كَلِمَةٍ بَرَكَةٌ (۲) مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ كَانَ كَمَنْ عَبَدَ اَللَّهَ طُولَ حَيَاتِهِ (۳)

 

It is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ: The greatest verse in the Qur’an is Āyat al-Kursī (1). In it are fifty words, and in every word there is blessing (2). Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī one hundred times is like one who has worshipped Allah throughout his entire life (3).

 

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: إِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ ذِرْوَةً وَ ذِرْوَةُ اَلْقُرْآنِ آيَةُ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ ، مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ مَرَّةً صَرَفَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَلْفَ مَكْرُوهٍ مِنْ مَكَارِهِ اَلدُّنْيَا وَ أَلْفَ مَكْرُوهٍ مِنْ مَكَارِهِ اَلْآخِرَةِ أَيْسَرُ مَكْرُوهِ اَلدُّنْيَا اَلْفَقْرُ وَ أَيْسَرُ مَكْرُوهِ اَلْآخِرَةِ عَذَابُ اَلْقَبْرِ وَ إِنِّي لَأَسْتَعِينُ بِهَا عَلَى صُعُودِ اَلدَّرَجَةِ (۴)

 

It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (p), who said: Indeed, everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur’an is Āyat al-Kursī. Whoever recites Āyat al-Kursī once, Allah repels from him one thousand hardships from the hardships of this world and one thousand hardships from the hardships of the Hereafter. The least of the hardships of this world is poverty, and the least of the hardships of the Hereafter is the punishment of the grave. And indeed, I seek help through it for ascending the ranks (4).

​

۱) تفسير الصافي، ج۱، ص۲۸۳

۲) مستدرك الوسائل، ج۴، ص۳۳۶

۳) عيون الأخبار، ج۲، ص۶۵

۴) وسائل الشیعة، ج۱۱، ص۳۹۶

 

1. Tafsir al-Safi, vol. 1, p. 283

2. Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, vol. 4, p. 336

3. Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 65

4. Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 11, p. 396

 

 

عَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ :

​

Imam Ali bin Al-Hussain narrated from

The Messenger of God (PBUH&HF) who said:

مَنْ قَرَأَ أَرْبَعَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ اَلْبَقَرَةِ وَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ ، وَ آيَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا وَ ثَلاَثَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ آخِرِهَا لَمْ يَرَ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَ مَالِهِ شَيْئاً يَكْرَهُهُ وَ لاَ يَقْرَبُهُ اَلشَّيْطَانُ وَ لاَ يَنْسَى اَلْقُرْآنَ .

​

Whoever recites the first four verses of Surah al-Baqarah, Ayat al-Kursi, the

two verses after Ayat al-Kursi, and the last three verses of Surah al-Baqarah, will not see any harm or distress in himself, his family, or his wealth. Satan will not come near him, and he will not forget the Qur’an.

وسائل الشیعة  ج۶ ص۲۵۰

Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 6, p. 250

 قَالَ أَمِيرُ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَيْنَ أَنْتُمْ عَنْ آيَةِ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَقُولُ:

The Messenger of God (PBUH&HF), addressing Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH), said:
 

يَا عَلِيُّ  ... وَ اَلْقُرْآنُ سَيِّدُ اَلْكَلاَمِ وَ سُورَةُ اَلْبَقَرَةِ سَيِّدُ اَلْقُرْآنِ وَ آيَةُ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ سَيِّدُ سُورَةِ اَلْبَقَرَةِ فِيهَا خَمْسُونَ كَلِمَةً فِي كُلِّ كَلِمَةٍ بَرَكَةٌ .

 

“O Ali… The Qur’an is the master of speech; Surah al-Baqarah is the master of the Qur’an; and Ayat al-Kursi is the master of Surah al-Baqarah. In it are fifty words, and in every word there is a blessing.”

مستدرك الوسائل  ج۴ ص۳۳۶

Mustadrak al-Wasāʾil, vol. 4, p. 336

وَ رُوِيَ عَنْ أَمِيرِ اَلْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ:

​

Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH) narrates that the Messenger of God (PBUH&HF), while standing on the steps of the pulpit, said:

سَمِعْتُ نَبِيَّكُمْ عَلَى أَعْوَادِ اَلْمِنْبَرِ وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ دُخُولِ اَلْجَنَّةِ إِلاَّ اَلْمَوْتُ وَ لاَ يُوَاظِبُ عَلَيْهَا إِلاَّ صِدِّيقٌ أَوْ عَابِدٌ وَ مَنْ قَرَأَهَا إِذَا أَخَذَ مَضْجَعَهُ آمَنَهُ اَللَّهُ عَلَى

نَفْسِهِ وَ جَارِهِ وَ جَارِ جَارِهِ وَ اَلْأَبْيَاتِ حَوْلَهُ.

​

“Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing prevents him from entering Paradise except death. None remains constant in reciting it except a truthful one (ṣiddīq) or a true worshipper. And whoever recites it when going to his bed, God grants protection to him, his family, his neighbor, his neighbor’s neighbor, and the houses around him.”

مکارم الأخلاق  ج۱ ص۲۸۸
Makārim al-Akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 288

 

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (صَلَوَاتُ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ) يَقُولُ:

​

Shaykh al-Ṭūsī narrates in al-Amālī, through his chain from Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī, who said: I heard ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (PBUH) say:

مَا أَرَى رَجُلاً أَدْرَكَ عَقْلُهُ اَلْإِسْلاَمَ وَ وُلِدَ فِي اَلْإِسْلاَمِ يَبِيتُ لَيْلَةً سَوَادَهَا - قُلْتُ: وَ مَا سَوَادُهَا، يَا أَبَا أُمَامَةَ قَالَ: جَمِيعَهَا - حَتَّى يَقْرَأَ هَذِهِ اَلْآيَةَ «اَللّٰهُ لاٰ إِلٰهَ إِلاّٰ هُوَ اَلْحَيُّ اَلْقَيُّومُ» فَقَرَأَ اَلْآيَةَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: «اَلْعَلِيُّ اَلْعَظِيمُ» ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: فَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا هِيَ - أَوْ قَالَ: مَا فِيهَا - لَمَا تَرَكْتُمُوهَا عَلَى حَالٍ،
 

“If you knew what this verse is — or what is within it — you would never abandon it.”

 إِنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ (صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) أَخْبَرَنِي قَالَ:
أُعْطِيتُ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ مِنْ كَنْزٍ تَحْتَ اَلْعَرْشِ وَ لَمْ يُؤْتَهَا نَبِيٌّ كَانَ قَبْلِي.

 

“The Messenger of God (PBUH&HF) informed me and said: ‘I was given Ayat al-Kursi from a treasure beneath the Throne, and no prophet before me was given it."
 

قَالَ عَلِيٌّ (عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ) :
فَمَا بِتُّ لَيْلَةً قَطُّ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ (صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ) حَتَّى أَقْرَأَهَا.

 

Imam Ali (p) said: “Since the time I heard this from the Messenger of God (PBUH&HF), I have not spent a single night without reciting it.”

 

ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَبَا أُمَامَةَ، إِنِّي أَقْرَؤُهَا ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فِي ثَلَاثَةِ أَحَايِينَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ

 

Then he said: “O Abu Umāmah, I recite it three times in three different moments every night.”

 

(Abū Umāmah said:) I asked, “O cousin of Muhammad (PBUH&HF), when do you recite it?” He replied:

 

أَقْرَؤُهَا قَبْلَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الْعِشَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ… فَوَاللَّهِ مَا تَرَكْتُهَا مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ هَذَا الْخَبَرَ مِنْ نَبِيِّكُمْ حَتَّى أَخْبَرْتُكَ بِهِ

 

“I recite it after the final ʿIshāʾ prayer, before the two rakʿahs… By God, I have not abandoned it from the time I heard this report from your Prophet (PBUH&HF) until this moment when I have conveyed it to you.”

الأمالي (للطوسی)  ج۱ ص۵۰۸

Al-Amali by Sheikh Tusi, vol. 1, p. 508



عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ:

 

In another narration from Imam al-Ṣādiq (PBUH), it is reported that two brothers came to the Messenger of God (PBUH&HF) and said: “We intend to travel to Syria for trade; teach us what we should say (and do).” He said:

أَتَى أَخَوَانِ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ فَقَالاَ لَهُ إِنَّا نُرِيدُ اَلشَّامَ فِي تِجَارَةٍ فَعَلِّمْنَا مَا نَقُولُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا أَوَيْتُمَا إِلَى اَلْمَنْزِلِ فَصَلِّيَا اَلْعِشَاءَ اَلْآخِرَةَ فَإِذَا وَضَعَ أَحَدُكُمَا جَنْبَهُ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ بَعْدَ اَلصَّلاَةِ فَلْيُسَبِّحْ تَسْبِيحَ فَاطِمَةَ عَلَيْهَا اَلسَّلاَمُ ثُمَّ لْيَقْرَأْ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ ، فَإِنَّهُ مَحْفُوظٌ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ اَلْحَدِيثَ

​

“When you reach your lodging, perform the ʿIshāʾ prayer. Then, when one of you lies down on his bed after the prayer, let him recite the Tasbīḥ of Fāṭimah (PBUH), and then recite Ayat al-Kursi, for he will be protected from everything until morning.”

وسائل الشیعة  ج۱۱ ص۳۹۵

Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa, vol. 11, p. 395

​

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُوسَى اَلرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ:

​

In a narration from Ibn al-Riḍā, ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī (PBUH), the recitation of Ayat al-Kursi is mentioned among ten practices that the Ahlulbayt (PBUH) consistently observed as part of their nightly etiquette before sleep:

​

لَنَا أَهْلَ اَلْبَيْتِ عِنْدَ نَوْمِنَا عَشْرُ خِصَالٍ اَلطَّهَارَةُ وَ تَوَسُّدُ اَلْيَمِينِ وَ تَسْبِيحُ اَللَّهِ ثَلاَثاً وَ ثَلاَثِينَ وَ تَحْمِيدُهُ ثَلاَثاً وَ ثَلاَثِينَ وَ تَكْبِيرُهُ أَرْبَعاً وَ ثَلاَثِينَ وَ نَسْتَقْبِلُ اَلْقِبْلَةَ بِوُجُوهِنَا وَ نَقْرَأُ فَاتِحَةَ اَلْكِتَابِ وَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ وَ شَهِدَ اَللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ إِلَى آخِرِهَا فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ أَخَذَ بِحَظِّهِ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ.

​

“We, the Ahlulbayt, observe ten practices at the time of our sleep… We recite Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, Ayat al-Kursi, and the verse ‘Shahida Allāhu annahu lā ilāha illā Huwa’ to its end. Whoever does this has taken his full share of the blessings of his night.”

​

مستدرك الوسائل  ج۵ ص۱۱۶

Mustadrak al-Wasāʾil, vol. 5, p. 116

 

عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (علیه السلام) قَالَ:

 

In the narrations of the Ahlulbayt (PBUH), in addition to the spiritual virtues of Ayat al-Kursi, its healing effects have also been mentioned. Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH) said:

 إِذَا اشْتَكَى أَحَدُكُمْ عَيْنَهُ فَلْيَقْرَأْ عَلَيْهَا آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِ

‏ وَ فِي قَلْبِهِ أَنَّهُ يَبْرَأُ وَ يُعَافَى فَإِنَّهُ يُعَافَى إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

 

“Whenever one of you suffers from pain in his eye, let him recite Ayat al-Kursi over it, while having certainty in his heart that he will be healed and restored to well-being; for indeed, he will be cured, if God, the Most High, wills.”

​

مكارم الأخلاق ؛ ص ۳۷۴

Makārim al-Akhlāq, p. 374

​

أَبَا اَلْحَسَنِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ:

 

In narrations reported from Imam al-Riḍā (PBUH), reciting Ayat al-Kursi at two specific times — before sleep and after the obligatory prayers — is described as a means of attaining inner peace, physical protection, and divine safeguarding.

 مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ اَلْكُرْسِيِّ عِنْدَ مَنَامِهِ لَمْ يَخَفِ اَلْفَالِجَ إِنْ شَاءَ اَللَّهُ

وَ مَنْ قَرَأَهَا فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ فَرِيضَةٍ لَمْ يَضُرَّهُ ذُو حُمَةٍ.

 

“Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi at bedtime will not fear paralysis, if God wills; and whoever recites it after every obligatory prayer, no harmful creature will harm him.”
 

الکافي  ج۲ ص۶۲۱

al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 621