The Verse of the Throne

Narrated Abu Hurayrah, may God be pleased with him, said:

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entrusted me with the safekeeping of the Zakat of Ramadan.

Then a man came to me and began scooping up the food, so I seized him.

And I said, by God, I will certainly bring you to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

He said, "I am in need, and I have dependents, and I have an urgent need."

He said, so I left him and awoke in the morning.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Abu Hurayrah, what did your captive do last night?"

He said, "I said, O Messenger of God, he complained of a severe need and dependents, so have mercy on him,"

So I let him go.

He said, "As for him, he has indeed lied to you and he will return."

So I realized that he would return in accordance with the statement of the Messenger of Allah, "He will return."

So I watched him. He came, scooping up from the food, so I seized him.

So I said, 'I will certainly bring you to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.'

He said, "Let me go; I am in need and have dependents. I will not return."

I felt pity for him, so I set him free, and morning came.

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to me, O Abu Huraira, what has your captive done?

I said, O Messenger of God, he complained that he had a severe need and dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.

He said, "But indeed he has lied to you and he will return."

I watched for him a third time, and he came scooping up food.

So I took him and said, "I will certainly raise you to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace."

And this is the last of three times that you claim you will not return, and then you return.

He said, "Let me teach you words by which God will benefit you."

I asked, 'What is it?' He replied.

When you lie down in your bed, then recite the Verse of the Throne.

Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer—until you finish the verse,

So indeed, you will always have a guardian from Allah.

And no devil will come near you until morning.

So I let him go on his way, and morning came.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and grant him peace, said to me, "What did your captive do last night?"

I said, O Messenger of God, he claims that he will teach me some words.

May Allah make it beneficial for me, so I let him go.

He said, "What is it?" I said, "He said to me: When you lie down on your bed."

So recite the Verse of the Throne from its beginning until you finish.

God—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.

He said to me, "A guardian from God will not cease to be upon you, and no devil will come near you until morning."

They were most eager for good.

The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Know that he has indeed told you the truth, yet he is a liar.

You know whom you have been addressing for three nights, O Abu Hurayrah.