الكوثر
Al-Kawthar
The Abundance • makkah • 3 Verses
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إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ
93:6.
Important Words:
الکوثر (abundance of good) is derived from کثر which means, it was or became much, copious, abundant, many, numerous, great in number or quantity; it multiplied or accumulated. کوثر means, abundance of good; a lord or master abounding in good; a man possessing good or much good, and one who gives much and often. According to some of the sayings of the Holy Prophet it is a certain river in Paradise, from which flow all other rivers. It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and has its margin composed of pavilions of hallowed pearls (Lane, Aqrab, Mufradat and Jarir).
Commentary:
The Surah refers to the Holy Prophet as one on whom abundant good has been bestowed. It was revealed at a time when the Prophet had nothing to give. He was living the life of a poor man and his claim to prophethood was looked upon with contempt and as unworthy of serious consideration. For years after the Surah had been revealed he was mocked and jeered at, opposed and persecuted and at last had to leave his native town as a fugitive, a price having been laid on his head. For several years at Medina, too, his life was in constant peril and Islam was eagerly expected (and humanly speaking justifiably) by its enemies to come to an early and tragic end. Then towards the end of his life an abundance of good in every shape and form began to pour down upon him like a cataract, and the promise contained in the Surah was literally fulfilled. The "outlaw" of Mecca became the arbiter of the destinies of the whole of Arabia, and the unlettered son of the desert proved to be the living Teacher of all mankind. God gave him a Book which is humanity’s infallible guide for all time to come. He imbibed and manifested in his person Divine attributes and rose to such high degree of nearness to his Creator as is possible for any human being to attain. He was blessed with a company of devoted followers whose loyalty and devotion has never been equalled, and when the call came to him from his Creator to leave the world he was satisfied that he had fully discharged the sacred task entrusted to him. In short, all kinds of good, material and moral, were bestowed upon the Holy Prophet in full measure. He, therefore, eminently deserved the title, "the most successful of all Prophets" (Enc. Brit.).
The word کوثر also signifies, a man possessing much good and one who gives much and often (Lane). The Holy Prophetwas given الکوثر in this sense also, because God raised among his followers a galaxy of Divinely inspired Reformers who successfully defended him and Islam in every age and guided and led the erring Muslims to the right path. Hadrat MirzaGhulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, was the most distinguished of these Reformers. He distributed most lavishly the treasures of divine wealth given to him by God, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Holy Prophet about the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, viz. یفیض المال حتی لا یقبله أحد (Bukhari) i.e. he will spend spiritual wealth so lavishly that there will be none left to accept it. So the Promised Messiah may be الکوثر referred to in this verse.
93:6.
Kauthar among other things means, abundance of good. It also means, a person possessing much good and one who gives much and often (Mufradat & Jarir). The Surah refers to the Holy Prophet as one upon whom God had bestowed abundant good. It was revealed at a time when the Holy Prophet did not possess anything and had nothing to give. He was then a very poor man and his claim to Prophethood was looked upon with contempt and as unworthy of serious consideration. For years after the Surah had been revealed he was mocked and jeered at, opposed and persecuted and at last he had to leave his native town as a fugitive, a price having been laid on his head. For several years at Medina, too, his life was in constant peril and his enemies were eagerly waiting to see (humanly speaking quite justifiably) the tragic and early end of Islam. Then towards the end of his life abundance of good in every shape and form began to pour down upon him like a cataract, and the promise contained in the Su
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ
Commentary:
The verse enjoins the Holy Prophet to turn to God with utmost devotion and be prepared to undergo all manner of sacrifice for the achievement of his great goal—the attainment of الکوثر.
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلْأَبْتَرُ
111:2.
Important Words:
الابتر (one without issue) is derived from بتر which means, he cut off or cut off utterly or entirely. أبترہ means, he cut off his tail. أبتر means, any beast having the tail cut off; a short-tailed serpent; one in want or poor; defective, deficient, imperfect; suffering loss; from whom all good or prosperity is cut off; having no offspring or no male issue (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
It is very significant that in this verse enemies of the Holy Prophet have been emphatically referred to as ابتر i.e., having no male issue; while the historical fact is that all the sons of the Holy Prophet himself born before and after the revelation of this Surah died and he left no male issue after him. This shows that "ابتر" mentioned in the verse only means, one deprived of spiritual issues and not of sons commonly so called. In fact, it was God’s own design that the Holy Prophetshould leave no male issue as he was destined to be the spiritual father of a multitude of sons in all ages to the end of time, sons who were to be far more faithful, obedient and loving than the sons of any father. He was not only the spiritual father of the Faithful but in a sense the father also of all the Prophets of God before and after him. This is the significance of the verse ما کان محمد أبا احد من رجالکم ولکن رسول الله و خاتم النبین i.e. Muhammad is not (and will not be) the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; (33:41). And this also seems to be the significance of the verse النبی أولی بالمومنین من أنفسھم و أزواجه أمھاتھم i.e. the Prophet is nearer to the believers than their ownselves and his wives are as mothers to them (33:7). Thus, it was not the Holy Prophet but his enemies who died issueless, since by joining the fold of Islam their sons became the spiritual issues of the Holy Prophet, who felt a sense of shame and humiliation at their pedigree being attributed to their own fathers.
The verse may also signify: "Surely, it is thy enemy who is cut off from all good or prosperity."
111:2.
It is very significant that in this verse enemies of the Holy Prophet have been emphatically referred to as Abtar (having no male issue), while the historical fact is that all the sons of the Holy Prophet himself born before and after the revelation of this Surah died and he left no male issue after him. This shows that the word Abtar here only means, 'one deprived of spiritual issues and not of sons commonly so called.' In fact, it was God’s own design that the Holy Prophet should have left no male issue as he was destined to be the spiritual father of a multitude of sons in all ages to the end of time—sons who were to be far more faithful, obedient and loving than the physical sons of any father. Thus, it was not the Holy Prophet but his enemies who died issueless, since by joining the fold of Islam their sons had become the spiritual sons of the Holy Prophet, and they felt a sense of shame and humiliation at their pedigree being attributed to their own fathers.