QURAN SUMMARY: AL KAWTHAR

NAME:  الكوثر, Al-Kawthar.

Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word ”Kawthar”.

١  إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
1  Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.

ENGLISH NAME: Abundance/Plenty.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 108

SURAH KAWTHAR TOTAL VERSES: 3

SURAH KAUTHAR TOTAL WORDS: 10

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 10

TOTAL LETTERS: 43

REVELATION PERIOD:

Meccan, Approx. 615 – 622 AD.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Prophet Muhammad.

SURAH KAWTHAR MAIN TOPICS:

God’s Promise Of Plenty And Abundance To Muhammad. And That It Is Not Him But His Enemy Is The One Cut Off.

SURAH KAWTHAR KEY VERSES:

٣  إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

3  Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1(God’s Promise Of Kawthur/Plenty And Abundance To Prophet Muhammad), 2(In Return God Orders Him to Pray And Sacrifice), 3(Tidings That It Is Not Muhammad But His Enemy Is The One Cut Off).

SURAH KAWTHAR BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND

This Surah has 3 verses. It takes its name from verse 1: “إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ” (Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al Kawthar.) where the word “الكوثر” meaning “Abundance/Plenty” appears. This Surah was revealed in Mecca. There is a difference of opinion as some commentators of the Quran say that this Surah was revealed in Madina.

Like Surah Dhuha الضحى and Surah لانشراح, this Surah is a continuation of the reassurance and comfort given there to Prophet Muhammad. God by sending down Surah Kauthar reassured the Holy Prophet as well as foretold the destruction of his opponents.

Muslim,  Nisai and Abu Dawud, all recorded from Anas that he said, “While we were with the Prophet of God PBUH in the Mosque, he drowsed off into a slumber. Then he lifted his head smiling. We said, `O Prophet of God! What has caused you to laugh?’ He said, لَقَدْ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيَّ آنِفًا سُورَة  Verily, a Surah was just revealed to me.  Then he recited, إِنَّآ أَعۡطَيۡنَـٰكَ ٱلۡكَوۡثَرَ • فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنۡحَرۡ • إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلۡأَبۡتَرُ

Indeed, We have granted you الكوثر . So pray to your Lord and sacrifice.  Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.

Then he said, أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْكَوْثَرُ؟ Do you all know what is الكوثر. We said, `God and His Prophet know best.’ He said,  فَإِنَّهُ نَهَرٌ وَعَدَنِيهِ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، عَلَيْهِ خَيْرٌ كَثِيرٌ، هُوَ حَوْضٌ تَرِدُ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، آنِيَتُهُ عَدَدُ النُّجُومِ فِي السَّمَاءِ، فَيُخْتَلَجُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْهُمْ فَأَقُولُ: رَبِّ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي، فَيَقُولُ: إِنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثَ بَعْدَك .  Indeed, it is a river that my Lord, the All-powerful and Majestic, has promised me and it has plentiful goodness. Its containers are as numerous as the stars in the sky. It is a pond where my Ummah will be brought to on the Day of Judgment.  Then a servant of God from among them will be (prevented from it), and I will say: “O Lord! Verily, he is from my followers.” Then He (God) will say: “Verily, you do not know what he introduced (or innovated) after you.’

Bukhari recorded from Anas, “When the Prophet was taken up to the heaven, he said, أَتَيْتُ عَلَى نَهْرٍ حَافَتَاهُ قِبَابُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمُجَوَّفِ فَقُلْتُ: مَا هَذَا يَا جِبْرِيلُ؟ قَالَ: هَذَا الْكَوْثَر . I came to a river whose banks had domes of hollowed pearl. I said: “O Jibril! What is this” He replied: “This is الكوثر. Bukhari also recorded from Said bin Jubayr that Ibn Abbas said, “الكوثر  is the abundant goodness.” This explanation includes the river and other things as well. Because the word الكوثر  comes from the word کثرة (abundance) and it (الكوثر) linguistically means an abundance of goodness.

Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded from Anas that a man said, “O Prophet of God! What is الكوثر” He replied, هُوَ نَهْرٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَعْطَانِيهِ رَبِّي، لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ بَيَاضًا مِنَ اللَّبَنِ، وَأَحْلَى مِنَ الْعَسَلِ، فِيهِ طُيُورٌ أَعْنَاقُهَا كَأَعْنَاقِ الْجُزُر .  It is a river in Paradise which my Lord has given me. It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. There are birds in it whose necks are (long) like carrots.) Umar said, “O Prophet of God! Verily, they (the birds) will be beautiful.” The Prophet replied آكِلُهَا أَنْعَمُ مِنْهَا يَا عُمَر The one who eats them (i.e., the people of Paradise) will be more beautiful than them, O Umar.

Traditions also put light on verse 3:  إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ  Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off. These traditions narrated from Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Ikrimah, and Mujahid stated, “This verse was revealed about Al As bin Wail. Whenever the Messenger of Allah would be mentioned (in his presence) he would say, Leave him, for indeed he is a man who is cut off having no descendants. So when he dies he will not be remembered.  So Allah revealed, إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

It has been reported that Ata said, “This Surah was revealed about Abu Lahab when a son of the Messenger of Allah died. Abu Lahab went to the idolators and said, `Muhammad has been cut off (i.e., from progeny) tonight.’ So concerning this Allah revealed, إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ

As-Suddi said, “When the male sons of a man died the people used to say, He has been cut off.