Name of the Surah
This surah is called Al-Kawthar because it begins by [108:1 Verily, We have given you al-Kawthar…] Allah, Exalted be He, gave His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad the good news that He gave him al-Kawthar, namely, abundant good in the life of this world and the Hereafter, one of which is giving him Al-Kawthar river in Paradise. This surah was revealed in Makkah. It contains three ayat.
Relationship between Surah Al-Kawthar and Surah Al-Ma’un
Surah Al-Ma’un, which comes before surah Al-Kawthar in the written copy of the Quran, mentions that the deniers of the recompense on the Day of Judgment are stingy, do not perform the prayer, like showing off, and refuse to offer even small kindness to fellow human beings.
Then, surah Al-Kawthar mentions that Allah gave Messenger Muhammad abundant good, and commanded him to perform the prayer sincerely, and sacrifice by slaughtering animals, such as a goat or a cow, for His sake, and feed the needy.
Most Important Topics Discussed in Surah Al-Kawthar
• Referring to Allah’s blessing on His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, as He gave him the great good news in the life of this world and the Hereafter, one of which giving him Al-Kawthar river in Paradise.
• Commanding Messenger Muhammad and his nation to constantly perform the prayer sincerely for the sake of Allah, and sacrifice animals to thank Allah for His countless blessings.
• Giving good news to Messenger Muhammad that Allah would give him victory over his enemies, as they did not deserve any good in the life of this world and the Hereafter.
English Translation of Surah Al-Kawthar
Revealed in Makkah, Contains 3 Ayah
Bism-Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
In the Name of Allah, the Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful
108:1 Verily, We have given you al-Kawthar,
108:2 so pray to your Lord and sacrifice.
108:3 Surely, he, who hates you, is the one cut off.
Tafsir
Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘One day we were sitting with Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him]. He dozed and then raised his head smiling. We said to him, ‘What has made you laugh, O Messenger of Allah? Messenger Muhammad said, ‘It has been revealed to me a surah of the Quran now. [Verily, We have given you al-Kawthar, so pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Surely, he, who hates you, is the one cut off.] Then, he said, ‘Do you know what Al-Kawthar is?’ We said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It is a river that my Lord has promised to give me in Paradise. Its vessels are more than the number of the planets. My nation will approach it on the Day of Judgment, but one of them will be taken away. Then, I will say, ‘O my Lord, he is one of my nation.’ He will say to me, ‘You do not know what he did after your death.’’
In the Arabic language, al-Kawthar is derived from kathar, namely, abundant. The scholars differ about the meaning of al-Kawthar. The following are their opinions: 1) It is a river in Paradise. Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘While I was walking in Paradise I saw a river whose banks looks like hollowed domes of pearls. I asked Gabriel, ‘What is this?’ He said, ‘This is Al-Kawthar that Allah has given you.’ Lo! Sharp odor of musk comes out of its mud.’ 2) Al-Kawthar is the abundant good that Allah, Exalted be He, has given to His Prophet Muhammad. 3) It refers to knowledge and the Quran. 4) It refers to prophethood. 5) It refers to the basin that the followers of Messenger Muhammad will gather around on the Day of Judgment. 6) It refers to the multiplicity of the followers of Messenger Muhammad.
After mentioning the opinions of the scholars, Imam Muhammad al-Qurtubi said, ‘The correct opinion is that Al-Kawthar refers to the river and the basin that Allah has given to Messenger Muhammad in Paradise because authentic narrations support them. All other opinions mentioned about its meaning refer to the abundant good that Allah has given His Messenger Muhammad.’
108:1 Verily, We have given you al-Kawthar,
The ayah begins by confirming the good news to indicate its greatness.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, We have given you al-Kawthar. It is a river and a basin in Paradise. These are some of the abundant good that We have given you. Thus, you and your nation should be delighted and take no notice of the meaningless speech that your enemies say about you and your religion.
108:2 so pray to your Lord and sacrifice.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, as We have given you these great blessings, you should always thank Us for them. You should sincerely and constantly perform the prayer, and slaughter sacrificial animals for Our sake.
In surah al-An’am, Allah, Exalted be He, says, 6:162 Say, ‘Truly, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death, are for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.’ 6:163 He has no partner. And thus I am commanded and I am the first of the Muslims.
108:3 Surely, he, who hates you, is the one cut off.
This is another good news to Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him].
O noble Messenger Muhammad, he, who hates you, is the one cut off every good thing and is deprived of good reputation.
It was narrated that al-As Ibn Wa’il used to say when Messenger Muhammad was mentioned, ‘Leave him. He is one who is cut off, namely, has no posterity. When he dies, he will be forgotten.’ Then, Allah, Exalted be He, revealed this surah. Abdul Allah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said, ‘Ka’b Ibn al-Ashraf came to al-Madinah. Then, the noble of Quraysh said to him, ‘You are their master. Do not you see this man, who has no posterity? He claims that he is better than us though we provide food and water for the pilgrims. Thereupon he said, ‘You are better than him.’ Thus, It was revealed, [Surely, he, who hates you, is the one cut off.’’
In sum, the disbelievers of Makkah believed that when Messenger Muhammad died, he would be forgotten and the message of Islam would be forgotten because his male descendants died when they were children. However, Messenger Muhammad and the message of Islam will never be forgotten until the Day of Judgment will take place. Rather, those who hate him and the message of Islam will be forgotten.
Learned Lessons from Surah Al—Kawthar
• Allah, the Generous, has given His beloved Prophet and Messenger Muhammad many blessings, among which is Al-Kawthar river in Paradise.
• The believers must constantly perform the prayer for Allah’s sake.
• The believers should sacrifice animals for Allah’s sake.
• Messenger Muhammad’s name will be always remembered and the message of Islam will remain until the Day of Judgment. On the other hand, those who hate Messenger Muhammad and the message of Islam will be forgotten.
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