Commentary of Surah Al-Kawthar

SHAFAQNA | by Ayatollah Seyyed Kamal Faqih Imani:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ(1) فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ(2) إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ(3)

القرآن الکریم، السورة الکوثر

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

1. “Surely (O’ Muhammad) We have given you abundance of good (Kawthar).”
2. “Therefore to your Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice.”
3. “Surely your enemy is the one who will be without spring.”

In this Surah, similar to Surah Dhuha and Surah Inshirra, the holy Prophet (PBUH) is addressed. One of the objective points in all three Surahs is that of consoling him when he was faced with a magnitude of painful incidents and numerous taunts by the offensive language of his enemies.

The term /Kawthar/ is a descriptive case derived from /Kathrat/ with the meaning of ‘a lot of goodness, or blessing’; while gracious persons are also called ‘Kawthar’.

What is the purpose of using the term ‘Kawthar’, here? A narration says that when the holy Prophet (PBUH) sat on the pulpit and recited this Surah, some of the companions asked him what it was that Allah (SWT) had given him and he answered:

“It is a stream in Heaven, whiter than milk, more clear than a goblet (of crystal) with dome-shaped ornaments from pearls and rubies…”[1]

Another tradition from Imam Sadiq (AS) says:

“Kawthar is a stream in Heaven that Allah (SWT) granted God’s Apostle for his son (who died in his lifetime)”.

Some have also said the purpose of using the word ‘Kawthar’ is for the Pool of Abundance (Haudh-i-Kawthar) that belongs to the Prophet (PBUH) wherefrom the believers quench their thirst when arriving in Paradise.[2]

Some have commented on it as being ‘prophecy’ and some others as ‘the Quran’; still others as ‘abundance of the Prophet’s (PBUH) companions and followers’, or the ‘abundance of the descendants’ all of whom came from his daughter, Fatimah Zahra (SA), and they multiplied to such an extent that it is impossible to count them.

They are not only, now, but, until the advent of the Hereafter, the reminders of the holy Prophet (PBUH). Some have also commented on it as being ‘intercession’, narrating a tradition from Imam Sadiq (AS) in this connection, as a reference. Even, Fakhr-i-Razi has narrated fifteen different narrations on the meaning of ‘Kawthar’.

But, it seems that most of them are the statements of the clear examples of this broad concept, because, as was mentioned before, ‘Kawthar’ means ‘goodness and blessing in abundance’, and we know that Allah (SWT), the Graceful, granted the holy Prophet (PBUH) so many blessings so that each of those mentioned in the above is one clear example of them. There are also many other examples that may be cited as example commentaries for the verse.

However, all the divine gifts granted to the holy Prophet (PBUH) in all aspects, even the victories in his expeditions against his enemies, and the scholars of his followers in the Muslim community, who guard the burning torch of Islam and Qur’an, in every period and age, and carry it throughout the world, all in all are involved in this ‘abundance of good’.

It should not be forgotten that Allah (SWT) revealed these verses to God’s Prophet’s (PBUH) holy heart at the time when the manifestations of this ‘abundance of good’ had not yet appeared. It was a miraculous piece of news which informed about the near future and the remote future regarding the legitimacy of the holy Prophet (PBUH).

This great blessing and the

needs a lofty thankfulness, although creatures can never thank the Creator for Divine Blessings, fully, because even the success of being thankful is another blessing from Him which needs thankfulness.

When it is so;

Yes, God is the One Who grants these blessings, therefore, prayer, worship and sacrifice, which is also a kind of worship, itself, have no meaning save for Allah (SWT), particularly in regard to the meaning of the term Lord which indicates the constancy of grace, providence and Lordship of Providence. Briefly, ‘worship’, in the form of prayer or making a sacrifice, is only the Lord’s and Benefactor’s privilege, and it is exclusively for the Pure Supreme Being.

This refers to the behaviour of the pagans who used to prostrate and sacrifice to the idols while they knew their affluence belonged to Allah. and in any case, the phrase ‘your Lord’, used in the verse, is a clear evidence for the necessity of ‘intention with divine motive’ in worship.

Many commentators believe that the purpose, involved here refers to the prayer on the Feast of Sacrifice, and making sacrifice on the same day. But, the meaning of the verse is apparently general and inclusive, even though prayer and sacrifice of the Feast on the day are of its clear examples.

Perhaps, using the term /Wanhar/ based on /Nahr/, which is specific to butchering a camel, is for the reason that sacrificing a camel, amongst other offerings, enjoyed a higher importance for the Muslims of that time who liked it very much, and thus, its butchering was not possible without the showing of generosity.

Here are two more commentaries on the above verse:

1. The implied meaning of the phrase /Wanhar/ is ‘facing Qiblah (the direction of the Ka’ba) when saying a prayer’, because the word /Nahr/ originally means ‘throat’ then, it has been used with the meaning of ‘standing in front of anything’.

2. The purpose involved, here is the ‘raising of the hands up to the throat and face’.

A tradition says that when this Surah was revealed, the holy Prophet (PBUH) asked Gabriel:

“What is this /Nuhayrah/ that my Lord has commissioned me to do”?

Gabriel said:

“This is not /Nuhayrah/. Allah (SWT) has, however, commanded you to raise your hands at the beginning of prayer when you say /Allahu Akbar/ and when you are going to perform bowing or prostration and after that, because our prayer and that of the angels, in the seven heavens, are like this. Everything has an adornment and the adornment of prayer is raising the hands at the time of saying /Allahu Akhar/”. [3]

There is another tradition from Imam Sadiq (AS) who, on the commentary of this verse, indicating with his holy hands, said:

“The purpose is that you raise your hands so that your palms be towards Qiblah (the direction of the Ka’ba)”. [4]

There is no problem in combining all these meanings, in particular, there are many Islamic narrations about raising the hands at the time of saying /Allahu Akbar/. Thus, the verse has such a vast meaning that it covers all of them. However, the first commentary is the most appropriate.

In the last verse of this short Surah, regarding the taunts made by the chiefs of the pagans to that holy being, it says:

The term /Sani’/ is derived from /Sana’an/ with the meaning of ‘enmity, spitefulness, and peevishness’; and /Sani’/ is the one who possesses these characteristics.

It is worthy to note that /Abtar/ originally means ‘the animal whose tail is cut off’ and the enemies of Islam taunted the holy Prophet (PBUH) by saying this with the hope that after his departure from this world and having no son to inherit his position, the dissolution of Islam’s sovereignty would happen. But, Qur’an, consoling the holy Prophet (PBUH) tells him that it is not him who will be without offspring, but surely his enemy is.