KHUTAB II - 8. Commentary of Sūrat al-Kawthar (Q. Chap. 108)

 8. Commentary of Sūrat al-Kawthar (Q. Chap. 108) 

  (18 July 2003)

Brothers and sisters in Islam,

Many people since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) until now do not want to accept the Qur’ān as revelation from Allah. Some say that he got information from the Jews and Christians and made it a book. Others think that it comes from his imagination and whims. The Orientalist W. Montgomery Watt, for example, says that the Qur’ān is the product of the Prophet’s own “creative imagination” and mistakenly thought that it was from Allah. However, Watt admits that the first revelation might be genuine, but the remaining revelations are merely the product of his “creative imagination” mistaking them as revelation.

Allah challenges this allegation. He says,

 وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا

شُهَدَاءَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ.  (البقرة  : ٢٣)

And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are

 in doubt concerning that which We had sent down (i.e.,

 the Qur’ān) to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce

a surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your

witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides

Allah, if you are truthful. (Q. 2:23).

The shortest surah (chapter) of the Qur’ān is surah al-Kawthar. It is an early Makkan surah according to the majority of scholars. It consists of three verses only. Then Allah challenges the doubters and rejecters of the Qur’ān to produce a chapter consisting of at least three verses. These verses run as follows:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ   “We have granted you (O Muhammad) al-Kawthar.” The term kawthar literally means in the Arabic expression “anything which is great in number, value and significance”, and is translated into English as “multitude, abundance, copiousness,”. When an old woman whose son had just arrived from traveling was asked: “What has your son brought with him?”, she answered, bi kawthar, meaning “many goods, much money”  (بِمَالٍ كَثِيْر)  

The commentator al-Qurt.ubī mentions sixteen interpretations of the term al-kawthar (abundance) given to the Prophet: (1) the name of a river in Heaven (Paradise).  Anas narrated that when the Prophet was made to ascend to the heavens, he said that he came upon a river, and when he asked Gabriel, he told him “This is the Kawthar” (reported by Bukhārī). Ibn ‘Umar also narrated a hadīth stating the name of the river as Kawthar (reported by al-Tirmidhī). (2) the name of a fountain. Anas narrated in a hadīth reported by Muslim that while the Prophet was among them suddenly he dozed off then raised his head smiling. When we asked him what had happened, he said that a surah of the Qur’ān was just revealed to him, then he read this surah al-Kawthar. Then he explained that the kawthar is a fountain where his followers would drink in the Hereafter. This river or fountain could be called kawthar because of the multitude of the Prophet’s followers would drink its water, and the multitude of water and good things in it. These two interpretations are more appropriate according to al-Qurt.ubī as they are supported by the statements of the Prophet mentioned above. However, in general, all that is good in spiritual sense are, such as wisdom, knowledge, revelation and doing good are included in this term as related to the abundant bestowal on the Prophet, such as the other interpretations given by other commentators, as follows: (3) the Prophethood and the Holy Book, according to ‘Ikrimah. (4) the Qur’ān, according to al-H.asan. (5) the religion of Islam, according to al-Mughīrah. (6) facilitation of (memorizing) the Qur’ān and the easing of laws, according to al-H.usayn ibn al-Fad.l; (7) the multitude of companions, followers and adherents, according to Abū Bar ibn ‘Iyās and Yamān ibn Ri’āb; ((8) affection, according to Ibn Kīsān; (9) the high raising of his renown, according to al-Māwardī; (10) light in the Prophet’s heart directing to Allah and cutting him off from anything other than Him; (11) the Prophet’s intercession, also according to al-Māwardī; (12) Allah’s miracles given to people who answer the Prophet’s call to Islam, according to al-Tha‘labī; (13) the testimony formula, “there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, according to Hilāl ibn Yisāf; (14) understanding religion (Islam); (15) the five daily obligatory prayers; and (16) a great thing, according to Ibn Ish.āq. All these had been bestowed upon the Prophet, in addition to the river and the fountain.

 فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ  “Therefore, turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”. There are many interpretations as to the meaning of “prayer” in this verse, as follows: (1) the five obligatory prayers, according to Ibn ‘Abbās as reported by al-D.ah.h.āk; (2) dawn prayer in Muzdalifah, according to Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, (3) ‘Id prayer on the sacrifice day, according to Qatādah, ^‘At.ā’ and ‘Ikrimah, for people who say that this surah is Madinian.  In general, Allah orders us to pray for Him alone.

There are two meanings of َ انْحَرْ: (1) sacrifice (slaughtering animal after performing the ‘Īd prayer), and (2) putting the right hand on the top of the left hand at the upper portion of the chest in prayer, according to ‘Ali and Muhammad, Ibn ‘Abbās and Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Quraz.ī.  It has been proven that the Prophet did it in prayer as a recommended act. However, the term nah.r has three meanings: slaughter(ing), the throat, and the upper portion of the chest as translated above.

 إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ “For he who hates you (O Muhammad) he will be cut off (from posterity and every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter, Dr. Muhammad Taqiuddin al-Hilali) (from all that is good, Asad) (from future hope, A.Y. Ali).

The literal meaning of abtar is “to be cut off”. The linguists say that a man who has no son, and an animal that has no tail are called abtar. The Arabs used to call a person who has sons and daughters and the sons died abtar. The pagan Quraysh asked al-‘Ās. ibn Wā’il one day: “Whom have you talked to?” He answered: “With the abtar”, meaning the Prophet whose son ‘Abdullah had just passed away, and had no longer son at that time. Then the above verse was revealed, indicating that the real abtar is the one who is cut off from the good thing. When the Prophet’s son al-Qāsim in Makkah and Ibrāhīm in Madinah passed away, they said that Muhammad had become abtar.  Also when the Prophet called the pagan Quraysh tribe to Islam, they rejected him and said, “He had become abtar from us (انْبَتَرَمِنَّا), meaning “he had disagreed with us and had distanced himself from us” (خَالَفَنَا وَ انْقَطَعَ عَنَّا).

Conclusion.

This short surah consisting of three verses only contains:

(1) a promise of abundance,

(2) an order to pray and sacrifice as well as to put the right hand on the top of the left hand on the upper chest in prayer, and

(3) a warning to people who called him abtar. Qur’ānic commentators give their diverse interpretations on it. Any challenger to produce the like of it in its eloquence and deep meanings?