Ayat Al-Kursi
/ˌɑː.jɑːt əl ˈkɜːr.siː/noun
A famous Qur’anic verse, specifically Qur’an 2:255, describing God’s sovereignty, knowledge, and the Throne.
Did you know?Ayat al-Kursi is widely recited in Muslim devotional practice for remembrance and protection, but its name refers specifically to the Qur’anic “Throne,” not to a magical object or physical chair.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
āyah
“A sign, mark, indication, or wonder; the word later came to mean a Qur’anic verse as a sign of divine revelation.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
Āyatu l-Kursī
“The verse of the Throne; the designation of Qur’an 2:255.”
7th Century
Arabic
kursī
“A seat, chair, or throne; in the Qur’anic phrase, part of the expression describing God’s Throne.”
Medieval Islamic scholarship
Arabic
Āyat al-Kursī
“The established title used by Muslim scholars and worshippers for Qur’an 2:255.”
20th Century
English
Ayat al-Kursi
“The conventional English transliteration of the Arabic name for Qur’an 2:255.”