the greatness of Allah—glorified is He—by mentioning the greatness of His created beings. If the Footstool, itself one of His created things, encompasses the heavens and the earth, then what of the Majestic Creator and the Magnificent Lord? It also demonstrates the immensity of His power. Such is the perfection of His power that preserving the heavens and the earth does not weary Him—that is, it does not burden Him. The verse then concludes with two magnificent names of Allah: “the Most High, the Most Great.” These affirm that Allah—glorified is He—is exalted in His Essence, His rank, and His dominion. They also affirm His greatness through belief that every quality of grandeur and majesty belongs to Him and that no one besides Him deserves to be glorified, magnified, and revered.
It is therefore a magnificent verse, containing sublime meanings, profound indications, and truths of faith that attest to its greatness and exalted status. It is authentically established from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—that it is the greatest verse in the Noble Quran. As recorded in al-Sahīh, “The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—asked Ubayy ibn Ka'b, ‘Abū al-Mundhir, do you know which verse in the Book of Allah is the greatest?’ He replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ The Prophet repeated the question several times, whereupon Ubayy said, ‘It is Āyat al-Kursī: “Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the All-Sustaining.”’ He said, ‘May knowledge bring you joy, Abū al-Mundhir!’”1 That is, may knowledge be a source of delight to you.
Among the practices that a Muslim is encouraged to observe consistently when retiring to bed is reciting Sūrat al-Kāfirūn and making it the last thing he recites, for it is a renunciation of polytheism.
Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad from Farwa ibn Nawfal of the Ashja tribe, from his father—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—entrusted Umm Salama’s daughter to my care and said, ‘You are my foster-father.’ I remained away for as long as Allah willed, then came to him. He asked, ‘What happened to the girl—or the little girl?’ I replied, ‘She is with her mother.’ He asked, ‘Then what have you come for?’ I replied, ‘Teach me what I should say when I retire to sleep,’