This is Ayat Al-Kursi and tremendous virtues have been associated with it, for the authentic Hadith describes it as `the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah.' Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubayy bin Ka`b said that the Prophet asked him about the greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah, and `Ubayy answered, "Allah and His Messenger know better.'' When the Prophet repeated his question several times, `Ubayy said, "Ayat Al-Kursi.'' The Prophet commented:

"Congratulations for having knowledge, O Abu Al-Mundhir! By He in Whose Hand is my soul! This Ayah has a tongue and two lips with which she praises the King (Allah) next to the leg of the Throne."

This Hadith was also collected by Muslim, but he did not include the part that starts with, "By He in Whose Hand...'' Al-Bukhari recorded a story in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, in the chapters on the virtues of the Qur'an and the description of Shaytan. In this narration, Abu Hurayrah said:

"Allah's Messenger assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and started taking handfuls of food. I caught him and said, `By Allah, I will take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.' I released him, and in the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah' I said, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.' Allah's Messenger said, `Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.' I believed that he would show up again, for Allah's Messenger had told me that he would return. So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, `I will definitely take you to Allah's Messenger.' He said, `Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.' I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah's Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.' Allah's Messenger said, `Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.' I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, `I will surely take you to Allah's Messenger as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.' He said, `Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.' I asked, `What are they' He replied, `Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Messenger asked, `What did your prisoner do yesterday' I replied, `O Allah's Messenger! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.' Allah's Messenger asked, `What are they' I replied, `He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.' (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, `He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah' Abu Hurayrah said, `No.' He said, `It was Shaytan.'''

An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah.

Allah's Greatest Name is in Ayat Al-Kursi

Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid bin As-Sakan said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say about these two Ayat, "Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists" [2:255], and, "Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists" [3:1-2], They contain Allah's Greatest Name.

This is also the narration collected by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih." Further, Ibn Marduwyah recorded that Abu Umamah reported that the Prophet said, "in Surah Ta-Ha, "And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allah), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists." [20:111]

1] Allah means – “That He is the one who deserves to be worshipped + the one to whom all worship should be directed to by His creation.”

2] Al- Hayy – The one who is Ever Living, never perishes nor dies, never was born, never died and His Life is a life of perfection

• 1] Believe in the Name of al-Hayy
• 2] Believe in that attribute of Life (which is a life of perfection w/ no fault)

The Ever Living (al-Hayyu) is from the attributes of His essence (siffatu Thatia) which always remain with Him and are inseperable from Him like His Knowledge, Sight, Hearing, Wisdom, etc.

3] Al-Qayyoum means the one who is Self Existing and Has given existence to all other things.   All creation stands in need of Allah and totally relies on Him

• Al Qayyoum also means He is free of all wants
• Al Qayyoum describes siffatu Fa`3lia

"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. Therefore, Allah's statement, "Neither slumber overtakes Him" indicates that no unawareness due to slumber ever overtakes Allah. Allah said afterwards, "nor sleep", which is stronger than slumber.

It is recorded in the Sahih that Abu Musa said, "The Messenger of Allah delivered a speech regarding four words:

"Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit His majesty that He sleeps. He lowers the scales and raises them. The deeds of the day are resurrected in front of Him before the deeds of the night, and the deeds of the night before the deeds of the day. His Veil is light, or fire, and if He removes it, the rays from His Face would burn whatever His sight reaches of His creation."

Allah's statement, "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. Similarly, Allah said, "There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Gracious (Allah) as a servant. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And everyone of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection (without any helper, or protector or defender)" [19:93-95].

5] Allah's statement, "Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission" is similar to His statements, "(And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with" [53:26], and, "They cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased" [21:28].

These Ayat 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. Indeed, the Hadith about the intercession, states that the Prophet said, "I will stand under the Throne and fall in prostration, and Allah will allow me to remain in that position as much as He wills. I will thereafter be told, "Raise your head, speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted''. The Prophet then said, "He will allow me a proportion whom I will enter into Paradise.''
Manthal lathee Yash`u endahu illa bi ithni – Who is that who can intercede without His permission. 

• Intercession is by Allah’s permission.
• Allah will tell the person who he can intercede for. 

Who is most deserving of intercession?  Those with Tawheed!

Abu Hurayrah (ra) asked: Who is most deserving of intercession? The prophet (saws) said, “man qala la illaha illallah khalisa min qalbihi,”meaning a person who has no shirk in his statements, actions, beliefs Allah will appoint for the prophet (saws) a portion to whom he can intercede for .

6] Allah's statement "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. Similarly, Allah said that the angels proclaimed; "And we (angels) descend not except by the command of your Lord (O Muhammad ). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two; and your Lord is never forgetful." [19:64].

7] Allah's statement, "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. For instance, Allah said, "But they will never compass anything of His knowledge." [20: 110].

8] Allah said, "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, "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, "And He is the Most High, the Most Great," is similar to His statement, "The Most Great, the Most High." [13:9]

• Al-Ali – means the One who is Above all His creation, the One who is above all faults and He is the Lord of Perfection and beauty
  • 1] Nothing is above Him
  • 2] Everything is under His power, and He has subdued His creation
• Al-Atheem means He is great and nothing is greater than Him
  • His is the Greatest, no faults & Shortcomings, He has all the attributes of perfection
  • No one could be glorified more than Him

Subhana Rabil Atheem means: “far removed is my Lord for faults and imperfection, He has every attribute of perfection and beauty.  I will glorify Him more than anything else. 

You are saying, I will not give my glorification, worship, my hope, my fear, my love, my trust my reliance to any other than Allah. 

These 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.

Thus if a person knows who al Atheem is, would he allow himself to follow any other path than His or to follow any other way than His?

Thus learning the attributes of Allah ta`ala has a direct effect on our behavior, our worship, our family, our community. 

Once the prophet (saws) saw a lady suckling her child and asked, “could you imagine that this mother will take her baby from her breast and throw it into the fire? The companions said Off course not.  The prophet (saws) then said, Allah is more merciful with His creation than this lady to her baby”.

So when a person feels this meaning in His heart, no matter how great his mistake or sin or shortcoming is, He feels Allah’s mercy if He turns repentant to Allah because He knows that Allah ta`ala is At-Tawab, Al Ghaffour, Al RaHmaan, etc.

If a person knows that Allah is All watching All Hearing, how could he go and commit injustice or go to a bar and commit illegal intercourse, this is because he does not feel and understand and know the attributes of Allah and that opens the door for misguidance and wickedness. 

Summary:

1] Ayatul Kursi is the greatest ayah (verse) in the Qur`aan and it describes the attributes of Allah ta`ala

• Allah
• Al Hayy The one who is ever living, never dies, never was born (perfection)
• Al Qayyoum – Self Existing and gave existence to all other things (dependence of creation to Allah ta`ala)
• Al Ali – The one who is above His creation
• Al Atheem – He is great and nothing is greater than Him, no shortcomings or faults

Allah is the one deserving of worship Allah, Attributes not befitting Allah such as slumber or sleep

Everything belongs to Allah ta`ala. Intercession belongs to Allah alone and it occurs by His permission. Allah knows everything, His knowledge encompasses everything, we are only given a small tiny portion of Allah’s knowledge. He is the one who guards and protects and He is not hindered by it (no one can harm except that which Allah wills)

2] It is a protection against shaytan (before sleep and otherwise), breaking spells, a cure

3] reciting it after every salah with sincerity enters one into paradise (hadeeteh Ahmad)