Al-Kowthar

Soorah 108:1-3

Name and Background

Teachings and Commentary

Ayub A. Hamid

 

Name and Background

This Soorah was uniquely identified by the word Al-Kowthar from its first verse.

As indicated by the previous two Soowar, the status and prosperity that the Makkans enjoyed was due to the Holy Ka‘bah. However, they were not fulfilling the purposes for which the Holy Ka‘bah was built. They had abandoned Towĥeed --  properly and exclusively submitting to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in worship -- as they abandoned helping the poor and needy. Their chiefs had become so greedy and miserly that they would not even do small favours to their neighbours.

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala sent the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to bring them back to Islam and to reform their behaviour so that the purpose of building the Holy Ka‘bah was fulfilled, which, of course, was also the purpose of human creation. Instead of responding to his call, they opposed him. They would go too far in their opposition to him. They would call him names, taunt him and say very mean things about him. When his sons died one after the other, they taunted him that he was now “cut off” -- that is, without any descendants or any roots and that no one would even mention his name after he died. They also thought that since he only had a few followers, he would fail completely, and no one would ever talk about him in the future. They also realized that their own status was due to the Holy Ka‘bah and they thought that because the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was cut off from them, and thus, cut off from the Holy Ka‘bah as well, thereby having no root in Arabia.  In short, they regarded him as a person completely cut off: cut off from the Holy Ka‘bah, cut-off from his kith and kin, cut-off because he had no hope to succeed and cut-off because he did not have any son to talk about him or mention his name. This was how they talked about him in public and it was how they taunted him.

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala revealed this Soorah to respond to their taunts and to console the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam with the prediction of his success and the utter failure of his opponents. He was told that he had been given goodness in abundance. It was his taunters who would be cut off in all the senses that they were taunting him about. And history is a witness of the truth of this prediction. The mission of the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam grew and succeeded completely, he conquered his enemies, won the hearts of all Arabs, restored the Holy Ka‘bah to its original purpose and glory, and billions of people continue to love him and respect him throughout the world. The Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s opponents lost in every way and there is no one in the world who would even associate with them in any respect. They are indeed those who have been completely cut-off.

Al-Kowthar is a superlative expression to denote utmost abundance and plenty. The Soorah does not specify exactly what that abundance and plenty is. Thus as a general term it covers all goodness that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has bestowed on the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in plentiful abundance including the following:

§         The Deen of Islam that is the source of all virtues and blessings and that is the only way to establish, justice to peace and to promote human excellence for the benefit of all mankind.

§         The Qur-aan which is the living miracle whose wonders keep on revealing themselves to people of knowledge of all times and ages.

§         The Holy Ka‘bah which has been source of limitless blessings and peace since the day it was constructed by Ibraaheem and Ismaa‘eel ‘alayhimussalaam.  

§         The respect and love that billions of people have for the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam since his prophethood and more and more of them will continue to have until the end of the world.

§         The success of his mission he saw in his life, unparalleled people of excellence that his mission produced and the goodness and blessings they brought to the whole world.

§         The huge pond he will have that will be available to satisfy the thirst of his followers on the Day of Judgment when people will feel extreme thirst but will find nothing that will quench it. Those who will drink from the Al-Kowthar pond will never feel thirst again.

§         The river Al-Kowthar that will be flowing in Jannah (the Garden) for the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and terminating in the above-mentioned Pond.

The “water” of the river and the pond will beyond one’s imagination, which is described as better than milk, ice and honey in appearance, sweetness, coolness and fragrance. Their bed will be of precious stones, not dirt.

Teachings

In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1 Indeed, We have granted you Al-Kowthar. 2 So perform worship and sacrifice for your Lord alone. 3 Your adversary is definitely the one cut off.

Commentary

After giving the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam the good news of his success in this world and in the Hereafter, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has commanded him to “perform worship and sacrifice for your Lord alone”. Usually the Qur-aan mentions Ŝalaah with Zakaah, but here it is mentioned with sacrifice because the Holy Ka‘bah was and is the centre to perform Ŝalaah and sacrifice for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and because the Millah of Ibraaheem ‘alayhissalaam is described in the Qur-aan as:

“My rites of worship and sacrifice and my life and earth are for Allaah, the Lord of the universe.” Al-An‘aam (6:162)

The Makkans had transgressed from Islam, the religion of Ibraaheem ‘alayhissalaam, and defeated the purposes for which the Holy Ka‘bah was constructed by including entities other than Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala in their worship and sacrifice. It is now the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s mission to restore the sanctity of the Holy Ka‘bah and to ensure that all rites of worship and sacrifice are performed for Allaah Alone. Thus the second verse of this Soorah states that his success is conditional on the success of this mission. If he continues to keep this goal the sole mission of his life, his adversaries and opponents will be the ones who will be cut-off despite the glory, respect, connections, popularity and status they currently enjoy.