Ayat Al-Kursi (2:255) has Ten Complete Arabic Sentences

1. Allah's statement,

اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ

Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He (mentions that Allah is the One and Only Lord of all creation.)


2. Allah's statement,

الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ

Al-Hayyul-Qayyum testifies that Allah is the Ever Living, Who never dies, Who sustains everyone and everything. All creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him, while He is the Most Rich, Who stands in need of nothing created.


3. Allah's statement,

لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَة وَلاَ نَوْمٌ

Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him- means, no shortcoming, unawareness or ignorance ever touches Allah. Rather, He is aware of, and controls what every soul earns, has perfect watch over everything, nothing escapes His knowledge, and no secret matter is secret to Him. Among His perfect attributes, is the fact that He is never effected by slumber or sleep.

4. Allah's statement,

لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَـوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاٌّرْضِ

To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - indicates that everyone is a servant for Allah, a part of His kingdom and under His power and authority.


5. Allah's statement,

مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ

Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission - assert Allah's greatness, pride, and grace, and that no one dares to intercede with Him on behalf of anyone else, except by His permission.

6. Allah's statement,

يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ

He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter- this refers to His perfect knowledge of all creation; its past, present and future.

7. Allah's statement,

وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَآءَ

And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills,- asserts the fact that no one attains any part of Allah's knowledge except what Allah conveys and allows. This part of the Ayah indicates that no one ever acquires knowledge of Allah and in His Attributes, except what He conveys to them.


8. Allah said,

وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَـوَاتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ

His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth. Waki` narrated in his Tafsir that Ibn `Abbas said, “Kursi is the footstool, and no one is able to give due consideration to [Allah’s] Throne.’’ Al-Hakim recorded this Hadith in his Mustadrak from Ibn `Abbas, who did not relate it to the Prophet . Al-Hakim said, “It is Sahih according to the criteria of the Two Sahihs, and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.’’ In addition, Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said, “If the seven heavens and the seven earths were flattened and laid side by side, they would add up to the size of a ring in a desert, compared to the Kursi.’’


9. Allah said,

وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا


And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them) meaning, it does not burden or cause Him fatigue to protect the heavens and earth and all that is in between them. Rather, this is an easy matter for Him. Further, Allah sustains everything, has perfect watch over everything, nothing ever escapes His knowledge and no matter is ever a secret to Him. All matters are insignificant, modest and humble before Him. He is the Most Rich, worthy of all praise. He does what He wills, and no one can ask Him about what He does, while they will be asked. He has supreme power over all things and perfect alertness concerning everything. He is the Most High, the Greatest, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and no Lord other than Him.

10. Allah's statement,

وَهُوَ الْعَلِىُّ الْعَظِيمُ

And He is the Most High, the Most Great- this and similar Ayat and authentic Hadiths about Allah's Attributes must be treated the way the Salaf (righteous ancestors) treated them by accepting their apparent meanings without equating them [with the attributes of the creation] or altering their apparent meanings.


Excerpts from Tafsir ibn Kathir-Abridged English version.