SURAH AL-KAWTHAR

Interpretation

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate,

1. We have surely granted you (unceasing) abundant good.

2. So pray to your Lord, and sacrifice.

3. Surely it is the one who offends you who is cut off.

This surah revealed in Mecca is one of the surahs sent during the early days of the revelations. It consists of three verses, is the shortest surah of the Qur’an, affirms the abundance and prosperity Allah bestowed upon His Messenger and His sovereignty over the hearts of humanity.

The Reason for Its Revelation

According to reports regarding this subject, there is agreement that this surah was revealed because the Prophet was called “abtar,” or a man with no linage (sons) by some of his enemies who abhorred him due to his faith. But who called him this? And why did they call him this? There are various reports conveying the reasons. According to a majority, As ibn Wail said “I am an enemy of Muhammad, and the enemy of people is cut off.” While according to some, Uqba ibn Abu Mu’ayt said that the Prophet was cut of (linage) because he had no sons.

It was reported by Ibn Abbas: The Prophet’s eldest child was Qasim, followed by Zaynab, Abdullah, Umm Kulthum, Fatima and then Ruqayyah. Qasim died in Mecca, he was the first child of the Prophet to die, and then Abdullah died. Following the death of Abdullah, As ibn Wail as-Sahmi said Muhammad’s linage has come to an end. Allah the Almighty sent the verse “Surely it is the one who offends you who is cut off.”

Some say that after the death of the Prophet’s son Ibrahim, the polytheists visited one another saying “Muhammad’s linage came to an end tonight.”

Indeed, among the reports regarding the reason for its revelation the only report signifying that this was a Medinan surah was the report regarding the death of Ibrahim. All other reports indicate that this is Meccan which appears to be the most popular view.

According to these reports, it is quite evident that when the disbelievers said abtar, they were in fact implying “the end of linage.” By saying this, they were actually exposing their hostility and rejoicing that the mission of the Prophet had come to an end. These words must have grieved the Prophet immensely, as he is informed that due to Prophethood, he was granted abundance, that his name would be remembered, that they are the ones who will be “cut off,” and he was commanded to pray to Allah alone for the greatest of all favors bestowed, his Prophethood, and sacrifice for the sake of Allah.

This excellent surah, with its conciseness, subtle points and signs is virtually a follow up of the previous surahs, and a basis for the next surah. In particular, its relationship with Surah al-Ma’un is that it is rather like a response. Especially the relation in response to denial, an attribute of disbelievers and hypocrites; justification in response to ruthlessness and miserliness; benevolence and kindness in response to deviating in worship; being steadfast in Prayer in response of ostentation, devotion and sincerity “for your Lord”; in response of rejecting small kindnesses, sacrifice and feeding the poor and destitute are well worth reflecting upon.

Commentary

1. )“We have surely granted you (unceasing) abundant good.”

The addressee here is the Messenger of Allah. The words “We granted” denotes honor. When Allah said, “We granted” rather than “We will grant,” He used the past tense form stating that this had already been granted, as indeed this promise will certainly be fulfilled. So the past tense form was used to place more emphasis on the subject, as if the event had already occurred.

“Al-Kawthar,” which linguistically means abundance, defines unlimited abundance, a plentitude of such greatness, the word derives from “kathrat” meaning a lot. Additionally, this is also the name of a river in Paradise from which all the streams in Paradise flow. According to some, this is used to describe “khayr al-kathir,” or the abundance, the plentitude of good which also includes aspects such as the Prophethood, the Qur’an, the position of intercession and knowledge.

However, with reference as to whether this bears a particular meaning in religious language or not, there are various explanations presented by scholars of the Qur’an, in total around twenty six opinions. Here a few of the most popular views:

The first: The most common view in a majority of the commentaries of the successors and early scholars, is that Kawthar is the name of a river in Paradise. This was also authenticated in reports by the Prophet: “Kawthar is a river which my Lord has granted me in Paradise.”4 In some reports, Kawthar is a pool bearing the abundance of good. The righteous of my followers will drink from it on the Day of Judgment; its jugs are equal in numbers to the stars in the sky. Some from among them will be pulled away, whereupon I will say “O Lord! My followers!” Then Allah will say “You do not know what they did after you.” And according to these traditions of the Prophet, in clarifying the meaning of the term “abundance of good,” he is specifically declaring that this is a river or pool in Paradise. Regarding the description of this river, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah, Nasa’i, Ibn Jarir and others narrated various reports by Anas, Aisha, Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas stating characteristics such as “A river whose banks were of hollowed pearl, and whose scent is of musk, it is whiter than milk and sweeter then honey, its width and length is equal to the distance between the East and West, its depth covers a time span of seventy thousand years, those who drink from it never experience thirst, those who perform ablutions from its water will never perish, those who violate my treaty or kill the people of my house are forbidden from drinking from it.”

It mentions in Islamic books that because the traditions about the fountain or river of the Prophet are agreed upon by majority, for Sunni Muslims it is an incumbent duty to believe in this. In accordance with this surah, although there is no doubt that believing the Kawthar was granted to the Messenger of Allah is a duty on all Muslims, while believing it to be either a river or pool may be correct, believing it to be one or the other cannot be classified a duty. Indeed, there are other opinions. Namely:

The second: According to a report by Ikrima, it is the honor of Prophethood. As Prophethood is a universal leadership for good in both worlds necessary for the prosperity in religion and in the world, an abundance of good (khayr al-kathir) which is a Divine favor, and as a result is a favor of mercy.

The third: That this is referring to the scholars of the Islamic community. Indeed, the scholars who in terms of knowledge and morals are the successors of the Prophets are certainly the means of guidance and prosperity.

The fourth: The Prophet’s followers and society were of a majority. Allah the Almighty granted him such a prosperous community and Companions that it was pledged and tidings were given in the authentic traditions of the Prophet that more than half of the habitants of Paradise would be his followers.

The fifth: The Prophet had many followers and descendants. The Prophet being granted these tidings appears to be consistent in the denial of his enemy’s immoral behavior of calling him “abtar” following the death of his son. In other words, O Muhammad! Your progeny will not end with the death of your sons as the enemy anticipated. In fact, on the contrary, this means we will grant you many, a great many generations that would never disappear, and that is exactly what happened.5

However, in addition to all of these explanations, a majority of scholars insisted on the meaning “abundance of good,” as in terminology, this is the most comprehensive meaning. This can also include every “abundance of good” imaginable, and indeed, that which is unimaginable, reserved for both this world and the Hereafter.

Therefore, to pay gratitude for the benevolence of the Kawthar, as prescribed in the verse “If you are thankful, I will most certainly give you more…” (Ibrahim 14:7):

2. )“So pray to your Lord, and sacrifice.”

Certainly, the benevolence of the Kawthar requires fulfilling these commands in the most excellent manner.

“So  pray  to  your  Lord,” which means, pray to your Lord alone with unification and piety. Therefore, the command “pray” was recorded to depict that Prayer must be performed with all these motives,  stating the condition that it is “to your Lord.”

“…and sacrifice.” In addition to performing Prayer, sacrifice contrarily to those who abstain from charity(who avoid giving even the smallest, most trivial things), forsake wealth and live assets (such as camels, cattle, and sheep and goats) and sacrifice in the Name of your Lord. As the command “sacrifice” was given after “pray,” the words “to your Lord” are prevailing here. This means “pray to your Lord” and “sacrifice for your Lord,” which is in fact commanding that these two acts of worship must be performed with a pure intention for the sake of Allah. As Prayer which is not performed for the sake of Allah is not classified as worship, sacrifice which is not performed in the Name of Allah is not accepted as sacrifice. As the sacrifice of those who do not proclaim the Name of Allah, or mention a name other than Allah is “…offered in the name other than Allah…” and is not classified as sacrificed, and is therefore prohibited.

This verse bears the meaning of steadfastness in worship, and is also encouraging voluntary Prayers. Additionally, it emphasizes that this alone is insufficient, that in addition to physical worship such as Prayers, spiritual and material worship such as sacrifice is also a requirement of faith, and in accordance with the verse “Say: ‘My Prayer, and all my acts and forms of devotion and worship, and my living and my dying are for Allah alone, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partners; thus have I been commanded, and I am the first and foremost of the Muslims’” (al-An’am 6:162–163) all forms of worship must be performed for the sake of Allah alone.

While believe the command “pray” in this verse as being the five Prescribed Prayers, others consider this to be the Prayer of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). According to some, this means to perform the Prayers of Eid followed by the sacrificing of an animal. However, when considering the context on a whole, the meaning is: “O Messenger of Allah! Your Lord has provided you with such abundance, He granted you such a great favor, so pray and sacrifice for His sake.” When this command was given, not only the Qurashi or Arabian polytheists, but the polytheists throughout the entire world were worshipping, and sacrificing for their own man-made “gods.” The purpose here, contrary to the polytheists, by praying and sacrificing for the sake of Allah alone, was to represent steadfastness on their own path.

In Medina, on the tenth day (nahr) of Dhi’l-Hijjah the Prayers of Eid al- Adha and the sacrifice were deemed lawful for the people. However, the practice of this Prayer and sacrifice was not established directly with this verse, but by the command and practices of the Prophet. “There are three things that have been made obligatory for me but not for you: Observing the Witr Prayer, the sacrifice (on Eid        al-Adha) and performing the Duha (Mid-morning) Prayer.”6 Therefore, there are things that although were obligatory upon the Prophet, were not obligatory on his followers. In which case the commands here: “Pray” and “sacrifice” are also commands as such. In addition the traditions warn us: “Whoever has the financial ability to offer a sacrifice but does not do so, he should not approach our place or Prayer,”7  and “Perform the sacrifice, for it is the practice of your father Ibrahim.”8

Therefore, performing the sacrifice after Eid Prayers became established by the practice and command of the Messenger of Allah. It was agreed upon that the sacrifice was a tradition, a Sunnah of the Prophet that he never abandoned. Whereas a tradition of such is walking on the path displaying the manifests of faith, and to the extent that it is virtually an obligatory act. Although traditions of this kind are not referred to as obligatory meaning an incumbent practice, according to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, when there is indecisiveness regarding an obligation such as “He should not approach our place of Prayer,” subjects bearing indefinite evidence are classified as Wajib (necessary) which is close to being an incumbent duty. This is why sacrifice is classified as Wajib in a clear report by Imam Abu Hanifa.

The kinds of animals prescribed for sacrifice revealed in Surah al- An’am described as being “Eight in pairs” (al-An’am 6:143) are sheep, goats, camels, cattle both male and female adults as defined in the Islamic law, and affirmed by the practice of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

Generally, Prayer and charity are mentioned together in the Qur’an, whereas in this verse there is no mention of charity, it says sacrifice, because the purpose of sacrifice is also classified as charity, a form of aid which is distributed to the poor. In which case, the purpose of this shortest surah of the Qur’an was in fact helping the poor.

In brief, what has been defined until this point is as follows: Because We granted you the “Kawthar,” pray the Lord in gratitude for His favor to you with piety, both physically and materially with every limb of your body, and in addition to the Prayer, offer sacrifice. If you devoutly worship Allah with piety and unification, and remember this blessing by performing good deeds, there is no likelihood of your Lord ceasing His favors to you.

3. )“Surely it is the one who offends you who is cut off.”

Surely, whoever resents, harbors hostility, hates or offends you, is the one who is cut off. He is the one whose linage will cease, who will be cut off from his descendants, who will be dishonored, not you O Muhammad! Your generations that come after you, the Companions and helpers, each of whom were like your own children and family, and your beloved followers will multiply immensely. Your religion, your Book, your beautiful name, your excellent reputation, prosperity and kindness will remain forever. You will attain favors in the Hereafter impossible to explain, favors that never cease. Undoubtedly, those who offend, who underestimate such abundance will remain unfaithful and worthless.

Although the actual meaning of the word “abtar” is cut off (progeny severed), this word is most commonly used as one whose tail is cut off. Due to the fact that the tail is on the back, there is no continuation, in other words those who have no offspring, no descendants, those who leave behind no trace, or that which has no prosperity was referred to as abtar.

“Any important affair that does not begin in the Name of Allah is abtar.”9 The meaning of the word “abtar” in this hadith is non-continuing, non-prosperous, deficient, remaining incomplete.

Those who hate and abused you by calling you abtar due to the death of your son are themselves abtar in every aspect. They are the ones who are truly deficient and incomplete. Certainly, the enemies of the Prophet never prospered. Either their progeny ceased in terms of materialism, or in spiritual terms their prosperity and existence became extinct, and as a result they perished amidst a life of misery and contempt. The offspring of those who bore a progeny were never prosperous.

Those insensitive individuals used the death of the Prophet’s son as an excuse to call him abtar, whereas due to the fact that the children of the Prophet’s daughters and the children of their children were of his linage, they were the successors, the children, grandchildren and descendants of the Prophet, his progeny never ceased. In addition, although the Prophet was the father of several sons, there is certainly wisdom in the fact that none of them lived for a long period, and that his progeny continued through his daughters alone. This was described as him being the last of the Prophets. He was granted both male and female offspring to clarify the abundance and perfection of his carnal power in addition to his spiritual power, however, due to the fact that the chain of Prophethood was sealed with Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, his religion and Book would remain until the Last Day, and if his sons had survived, them being honored with Prophethood would not be in accordance with this, as surviving and not being granted the honor of Prophethood may have prevented them from being dutiful offspring, thus overshadowing their honor, therefore the death of his sons in infancy (in a state of innocence) may have been more favorable both for them and for Allah’s Messenger.

If the Prophet’s sons had survived him, although they would not have been granted Prophethood, it would have been in accord for them to be rendered successors of the imamate, but because the imamate successorship would have been confined to the descendants of the Prophet rather than competency, this restriction would have appeared to be inconsistent with the Prophethood of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in general. As there was no probability of the Prophethood or imamate of women, it was impossible for his daughters to be his successors. Therefore, the logical meaning and wisdom in the continuation of the Prophet’s progeny through his daughters, and the early death of his sons can be summarized by these two reasons: Because there was to be no Prophethood after him, and so the imamate and leadership would not be bound to ancestry alone. On the contrary, it was certainly not as the Arabs of the Period of Ignorance assumed, that following the death of his sons, the Prophet’s progeny would end and the offspring of his daughters would not be classified as his progeny. Clearly, this last verse contains predictions regarding the future.

The disbelievers spoke like this in the anticipation that the Prophet’s physical, and in particular his spiritual progeny would end. However, with the hundreds of thousands of followers, and the millions of Muslims who fill the mosques throughout the entire world, and in particular the mosques in the two holy cities is a spectacular example of the Divine abundance mentioned in this surah.

 

4              Sahih Muslim, Salah, 53–54

5              Yazır, Elmalılı Hamdi, Kur’an-ı Kerim Tefsiri, “Kevser Suresi”

6              Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, I/231; Suyuti, Ad-Durru’l-Mansur, I/536

7              Sunan ibn Majah, Adahi, 2; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2/321

8              Sunan ibn Majah, Adahi, 3

9              Bayhaqi, As-Sunanu’l-Kubra, 3/209

 

Akgul, Muhittin. Tafsir: An Introduction to Qur’anic Exegesis. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2013