- 1
A special job
The Prophet ﷺ gave Abu Hurairah an important job: to guard the charity food collected at the end of Ramadan (Zakat al-Fitr).
- 2
Night one
In the night, someone crept in and started taking handfuls of the food. Abu Hurairah caught him and said, “I will take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!” The man said he was poor, with many people to feed. Abu Hurairah felt sorry for him and let him go.
- 3
The Prophet ﷺ knew
In the morning the Prophet ﷺ asked, “What did your prisoner do last night?” When Abu Hurairah told him, the Prophet ﷺ said, “He lied to you — and he will come back.”
- 4
Night two
Abu Hurairah waited and watched. The visitor came again, was caught again, and again begged to be let go, promising never to return. Abu Hurairah felt sorry and let him go. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ said again: “He lied to you, and he will come back.”
- 5
Night three
On the third night Abu Hurairah caught him once more and said, “This time I will take you to the Prophet ﷺ — you keep promising and breaking your promise!”
- 6
The secret words
The visitor said, “Let me go and I will teach you words that Allah will benefit you with: when you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi — “Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum” — to the end. Allah will send a guard to protect you, and no shaytan will come near you until morning.” So Abu Hurairah let him go.
- 7
Who was he?
In the morning Abu Hurairah told the Prophet ﷺ about the words. The Prophet ﷺ said, “He told you the truth, even though he is a great liar. Do you know who you were talking to these three nights, O Abu Hurairah?” He said, “No.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “That was Shaytan.”
Do you know how Ayat al-Kursi was taught?
The true story of Abu Hurairah, the charity food of Ramadan and a visitor who came three nights — and why Ayat al-Kursi is the greatest verse in the Quran.
Abu Hurairah was guarding the Ramadan charity food when a visitor came three nights to steal. On the third night, the visitor taught him to recite Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping, so that Allah would send a guard and no shaytan would come near until morning. The Prophet ﷺ said: “He told you the truth, even though he is a liar — that was Shaytan” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).
Ayat al-Kursi
The verse from the story — recite it every night before you sleep.
اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ ۚ اَلْحَیُّ الْقَیُّوْمُ ۚ۬ لَا تَاْخُذُهٗ سِنَةٌ وَّلَا نَوْمٌ ؕ لَهٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِی الْاَرْضِ ؕ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِیْ یَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذْنِهٖ ؕ یَعْلَمُ مَا بَیْنَ اَیْدِیْهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۚ وَلَا یُحِیْطُوْنَ بِشَیْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِیُّهُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضَ ۚ وَلَا یَـُٔوْدُهٗ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِیُّ الْعَظِیْمُ ۲۵۵
Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum, la ta'khudhuhu sinatuw-wa la nawm, lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard, man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi'idhnih, ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bishay'im-min 'ilmihi illa bima sha', wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard, wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma, wa huwal-'aliyyul-'azim.
Allah — there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they grasp nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and protecting them does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great.
The greatest verse in the Quran
One day the Prophet ﷺ asked his companion Ubayy ibn Ka'b: “O Abul-Mundhir, do you know which verse in the Book of Allah is the greatest?” Ubayy said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Prophet ﷺ asked again, and Ubayy answered: “Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum” — Ayat al-Kursi. The Prophet ﷺ struck him gently on the chest and said: “May knowledge be pleasing to you, O Abul-Mundhir!”
What we learn from these stories
Recite Ayat al-Kursi before bed
Allah protects the one who recites it at night until the morning.
The Prophet ﷺ knew
Allah let His Messenger ﷺ know the visitor would come back.
Check with knowledge
Abu Hurairah asked the Prophet ﷺ before trusting what he heard.
Kindness with care
Abu Hurairah was kind to the poor — but also stayed careful.
Can you remember?
Tap a question to see the answer.
Q1What was Abu Hurairah guarding?
The charity food of Ramadan — Zakat al-Fitr.
Q2How many nights did the visitor come?
Three nights.
Q3What did the visitor say to recite before sleeping?
Ayat al-Kursi, from beginning to end.
Q4Who was the visitor?
Shaytan — the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Hurairah.
Q5Which verse did Ubayy ibn Ka'b say is the greatest?
Ayat al-Kursi — “Allahu la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyum”.
For parents: make it a bedtime habit
- Tell the story at bedtime, one night at a time — just like the three nights in the story.
- Recite Ayat al-Kursi together before the lights go off.
- Add the three Quls, blowing into the hands and wiping over the body, as the Prophet ﷺ did (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017).
- Our Quran & Tajweed lessons help children recite Ayat al-Kursi correctly.
Frequently asked questions
How was Ayat al-Kursi taught to Abu Hurairah?
While Abu Hurairah guarded the Ramadan charity food, a visitor came three nights to steal. On the third night he taught Abu Hurairah to recite Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping for Allah's protection. The Prophet ﷺ said it was true, and that the visitor was Shaytan (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).
What is the benefit of reciting Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping?
Allah appoints a guard who stays with you, and no shaytan comes near you until morning (Sahih al-Bukhari 2311).
Which is the greatest verse in the Quran?
Ayat al-Kursi. The Prophet ﷺ asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b which verse is greatest; he answered Ayat al-Kursi, and the Prophet ﷺ struck his chest and said, “May knowledge be pleasing to you, O Abul-Mundhir!” (Sahih Muslim 810).
Is this story suitable for young children?
Yes. It teaches children to recite Ayat al-Kursi at bedtime, to trust the Prophet ﷺ, and that Allah protects them through the night.
References & sources
Quran references link to Quran.com and hadith references to Sunnah.com, so you can check every source. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us and we will correct it.
Teach your child Ayat al-Kursi
One-to-one Quran lessons with Tajweed — start with 3 free trial classes.