The Meaning and Practice of Reciting Ayat al-Kursi in Daily Life: A Living Qur'an Perspective

Abstract

The recitation of Ayat al-Kursi (Q.S. al-Baqarah: 255), known as the "Throne Verse" and regarded as the greatest verse in the Qur'an, has become a deeply embedded spiritual practice within Muslim communities worldwide. This qualitative literature-based study examines the meaning and practice of reciting Ayat al-Kursi in daily life through the lens of the Living Qur'an approach, which investigates how Qur'anic texts are understood, experienced, and enacted in everyday social and ritual contexts beyond textual exegesis. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of scholarly literature on Ayat al-Kursi traditions across various community settings—including its recitation after obligatory prayers, during itikaf retreats, at Hajj and Umrah departures, in the Nyarang Hujan rain-shifting tradition, as visual ornamentation in mosques, and in protective rituals—this study explores the meanings, functions, and social dynamics embedded within these diverse practices. Thematic analysis of the reviewed literature reveals that the recitation of Ayat al-Kursi serves layered functions: spiritual (seeking divine protection, strengthening faith, and attaining spiritual closeness to God), social (reinforcing communal solidarity, transmitting religious values, and preserving local wisdom), and cultural (integrating Qur'anic text with local aesthetic expressions and traditional practices). The findings demonstrate that Ayat al-Kursi functions as a form of performative tafsīr in which the meanings of the verse are materialized through ritual sequences involving recitation, supplication, and embodied practice. This study contributes to Living Qur'an scholarship by demonstrating how a single Qur'anic verse can generate diverse meanings and practices across different community contexts, offering a model for analyzing the Qur'an as a socially enacted and ritually embodied text.