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Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 255: meaning and tafsir — Ayat al-Kursi
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ 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 ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٢٥٥
Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living[143], All-Sustaining[144]. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep[145]. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them[146], while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī[147] [i.e., footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High[148], the Most Great[149].[150]
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[143] Whose life is perfect, complete, and eternal, without beginning or end.
[144] Dependent on none for His existence while being the sustainer of all created beings.
[145] Dozing off and falling asleep are but normal to all creation that are inherently frail.
[146] Allah's knowledge encompasses every aspect of His creations in the past, present and future.
[147] Chair or footstool. It is not to be confused with al-‘Arsh (the Throne), which is infinitely higher and greater than al-Kursī.
[148] Above all of His creations and superior to them in essence, rank, and position.
[149] Whose greatness is unlimited, beyond description or imagination.
[150] This verse is known as Āyat al-Kursī, lit. The verse of the Footstool. It is the greatest verse in the Qur’an.
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
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.
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.