Al-Kawthar (Good in Abundance)

This very brief surah is like a short, sharp message of good news addressed directly and personally to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was to console him for the loss of all his male children at a very early age. According to Arabian custom before Islam, the loss of male offspring was considered a great misfortune because it signified the cutting off of a father’s name and ancestry, and his fading into obscurity. A man not survived by his sons was thus given the pejorative Arabic name al-abtar (sonless).

The surah came to reassure the Prophet that God’s grace and generosity towards him were great and unparalleled. He was favored by receiving the Qur’anic revelation; he was selected as a messenger of God to all mankind; and he is loved and revered by millions worldwide. In every moment that passes, someone, somewhere, is praying for Muhammad (peace be upon him) or praising his name.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) should undoubtedly be the happiest of all God’s creation; he is the mentor, the benefactor, the model, and the leader of mankind, for all time.

God says: “We have given you in abundance [of all good things], so pray to your Lord, and sacrifice” (1–2). This refers to prayers performed on the occasion of Eid, which is typically followed by the sacrifice of animals, usually sheep, cows, or camels, whose meat is distributed among the poor and the needy.

Then God says: “He that hates you [Muhammad] shall fade into obscurity” (3). This is a reference to those who lampooned the Prophet and taunted him for the non-survival of his sons.

It also conveys the reassurance that, in God’s sight, Muhammad was praiseworthy and deserving of God’s grace and generous rewards.

by Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali