SURAH (108) AL-KAUSAR (AYA 1 to 3)
Sura (108) AL-KAUSAR (The Abundance of Good) Aya 1 to 3 verses in 1 Section
Revealed at Makka
SECTION
1
The
abundance given to the Prophet
The Abundance in good and in offspring
granted to the Prophet---Prophecy that his enemy shall be deprived of the continuity
in issues.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ {108:1}
[Q108:1]
Innaa a’taina kal kauthar.
[Q108:1] Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (pbuh & hp)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise);
[Q108:1] Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (pbuh & hp)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise);
When the Holy Prophet’s (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) son, Tahir, born to
Khadijah al-Kubra, died, Amr bin As and
Hakam bin As taunted the Holy Prophet
(pbuh & hf) by calling him ‘abtar’ --- i.e., the animal whose tail is cut off, meaning, the one whose
succession in his seed has ceased, i.e.,
the one who has none to inherit.
THIS SURAH WAS REVEALED to give glad
tidings to the Holy Prophet (pbuh &
hf) that abundance of **unbounded grace, **wisdom
and **knowledge, **mercy
and **goodness, **spiritual
power and **insight, in highest degrees, AND OF
progeny has been given to him.
± It is mentioned
in Sahih
Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hambal and other books
of renowned Sunni scholars that the Holy
Prophet (pbuh & hf) said:
§ "Kawthar is a stream of super excellence, exclusively belonging to
me. Only the righteous believers (among my followers) will be allowed to drink
from it. Ali shall distribute the water from it to them.
§ “On the Day of Judgment I will see some of my companions driven, like
cattle, away from Kawthar. It will be announced that they are those who, after
my departure from the world, deviated from the true religion and introduced
innovations (based upon conjecture) to corrupt the faith."
From that day ALI was known and referred to by the companions as ‘saqi al-kawthar’ i.e., the ‘Distributor
of Kawthar’
£ Kawthar also means ‘abundance of descendants’. The countless descendants
of the Imams of the Ahul Bait, in the progeny of Ali and Fatimah are
known as ‘syeds’. They are the
descendants of the Holy Prophet (pbuh
& hf).
THIS CHAPTER GUARANTEES
ABUNDANCE IN
EVERY TYPE OF GROWTH AND PROFIT TO THE HOLY
PROPHET (PBUH & HF).
ß IN GRATITUDE OF THE GRANT OF "ABUNDANCE",
î The Holy Prophet (pbuh & hf) and his Ahlul Bait demonstrated highest
standard of devotion in prayers and in giving everything they had in the cause
of ALLAH (SWT).
î The sacrifice of Imam Husayn, his grandson, has been
described as ‘dhibin azim’ in verse 37:107 of Saffat
î For their salat see commentary of Baqarah 2:3, 43, 45; Ta Ha 20:132.
In
some degree or other,
according to the grade of their submission, all the believing men and women
receive some portion from the "abundance"
given to the Holy Prophet (pbuh &
hf), THEREFORE they are commanded to pray salat regularly and sacrifice
whatever they have.
± ‘Nahr’, in verse 2,
means sacrifice. It may also mean "raising of hands" in prayer whenever ‘Allahu Akbar’ is said.
In verse 3 it is said that THE ENEMIES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (PBUH & HF) AND HIS
AHLUL BAIT AS EXPLAINED IN THE COMMENTARY OF BAQARAH 2:2 TO 5) WILL BE LOST
IN OBLIVION. IT
IS A DIVINE PROPHESY.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(108:1)
(O Prophet), We have surely bestowed upon you good in
abundance. *1
*1 The full meaning of the word kauthar, as used here, cannot perhaps be expressed in one word
in any language of the world. This is an intensive form of the noun kathrat
which literally means abundance, but the context in which it has been used does
not give the meaning of mere abundance but abundance
of good, of spiritual benefits and blessings, and of such abundance which is
unbounded and limitless, and it dces not imply any one good or benefit or
blessing but abundance of countless benefits and blessings. HAVE A LOOK
AGAIN AT THE BACKGROUND OF THIS SURAH GIVEN IN THE INTRODUCTION. The enemies
thought that Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) had been
completely ruined: he was cut off from the community and had become utterly
helpless and powerless; his trade was ruined; his male children who could
perpetuate his name were dead; the message that he presented was such that
except for a handful of the people no one in entire Arabia, not to speak of
Makkah, was prepared to listen to it therefore, failure and disappointment
would be his lot as long as he lived and there would be no one in posterity to
remember him when he died. UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS when Allah said: "We
have granted you the Kauthar," it by itself gave the meaning: Your
foolish opponents think that you are ruined and deprived of the good things
that you enjoyed before Prophethood, but the fact is that We have favoured you
with unbounded good and countless blessings." THIS INCLUDED the
matchless moral qualities which the Holy Prophet was blessed with; this
included the great blessings of Prophethood and the Qur'an, the knowledge and
wisdom that were granted to him; this included the blessing of Tauhid and also
of such a system of life, whose simple and intelligible, rational and natural,
and comprehensive principles had the potential to spread throughout the world
and of continuing to spread for ever afarwards. THIS ALSO INCLUDED the blessing
of the exaltation of renown because of which the holy Prophet's blessed name
continues to be exalted throughout the world since 1400 years and will continue
to be so exalted till Resurrection. THIS ALSO INCLUDED the blessing that by his
preaching eventually such a world-wide community came into being, which became
the standard-bearer of Truth in the world for ever, which can claim to have
produced the greatest number of the pious, virtuous and noble charactered rnen
in any one nation, and which even when corrupted and deprived has the highest
good in it as against every other nation of the world. THIS ALSO INCLUDED the
blessing that the Holy Prophet during his very lifetime witnessed his
invitation and message attaining to the highest success and the preparation of
a community which had the power to dominate the world. THIS ALSO INCLUDED the
blessing that although on his being deprived of the male offspring the enemies
thought he would be lost to posterity, yet Allah not only blessed him with the
spiritual offspring in the form of Muslims, who will continue to exalt his name
in the world till Resurrection but also granted him from his one daughter,
Hadrat Fatimah, the natural progeny, who have spread throughout world and whose
only mark of distinction and pride is that they trace their descent from
him.
These are the blessings which the people have seen and witnessed as to how abundantly Allah has blessed His Holy prophet within the world. In addition, KAUTHAR also implies two great blessings which Allah will bestow on him in the Hereafter. We had no means of knowing these; therefore the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) himself gave us news of them, and told us that Kauthar also implied them. First, the Fountain of Kauthar, which he will be granted on the Resurrection Day in the Plain of Assembly; second, the River Kauthar, which he will be granted in Paradise. About both such a large number of the Ahadith have been reported from him through such a large number of the reporters that there remains no doubt about their authenticity.
WHAT THE HOLY PROPHET SAID ABOUT THE FOUNTAIN OF KAUTHAR IS AS FOLLOWS:
(1) This Fountain will be granted to him on the Resurrection Day when there will be the cry of al- atash, al- atash (thirst, thirst!) on every side. The Holy Prophet's community will gather together before him at it and will be watered thereby. He himself will be the first to arrive at it and will be occupying the central position. He has said: "This is a Fountain at which my Ummah will assemble on the Resurrection Day." (Muslim: KItab as- Salat Abu Da'ud: Kitab as-Sunnah). "I shall have arrived at the Fountain before you." (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Riqaq and Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab a!-Fida and Kitab at-Taharah; lbn Majah: Kitab al Manasik and Kitab az-Zuhd. Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat `Abdullah bin Mas'ud `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Abu Hurairah. "I shall be there before you and shall bear witness on you, and by God, I am seeing my Fountain even at this time." (Bukhari: Kitab al-jana-iz Kitab al-Maghazi, Kitab ar-Riqaq). Addressing an assembly of the Ansar, the Holy Prophet once said: "After me you will meet with selfishness and nepotism, endure it patiently until you meet me at the Fountain." (Bukhari: kitab Manaqib al-Ansar and Kitab al-Maghazi; Muslim: Kitab al-Iman; Tirmidhi: Kitab al-Fitan). "I shall be near the middle of the Fountain on the Resurrection Day." Muslim: Kitab al-Fada'il). Hadrat Abu Barzah Aslami was asked: "Have you heard something about the Fountain from the Holy Prophet? He replied: Not once, or twice, or thrice, or four or five times, but over and over again. May Allah deprive of its water the one who be lies it" (Abu Da'ud: Kitab as-Sunnah). "Ubaidullah bin Ziyad thought that the traditions about the Fountain were false; so much so that he belied all the traditions reported by Hadrat Abu Barzah Aslami, Bara' bin 'Azib and `A'idh bin 'Amr. At last, Abu Sabrah brought out a writing which he had written down after hearing it from Hadrat `Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-`As, and it contained this saying of the Holy Prophet: "Beware! Your place of meeting me will be my Fountain." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'As). (2) Different dimensions of the Fountain have been given in different traditions, but according to a large number of the traditions it will extend from Aylah (the present Israeli seaport of Ilat) to Sana'a of Yaman, or from Aylah to Adan, or from 'Amman to `Adan in length, and from Aylah to Juhfah (a place between Jeddah and Rabigh) in breadth. (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Riqaq; Abu Da'ud at Tayalisi: Hadith No. 995; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Abu Bakr Siddiq and `Abdullah bin `Umar; Muslim: Kasab al-Taharah and Kitab al-Fads il; Tirmidhi Abwab Sifat al-Qiyamah; Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd). From this it appears that on the Resurrection Day the present Red Sea itself will be turned into the Fountain of Kauthar. And the correct knowledge is only with Allah!
(3) About this Fountain the Holy Prophet hetold us that water will be supplied to it from the River Kauthar of Paradise (which is being mentioned below). "Two channels from Paradise will flow into it and supply water to it." (Muslim: Kitab al-Fada il). According to another tradition: "A canal from the River Kauthar of Paradise will be opened towards this Fountain." (Musnad Ahmad Marwiyyat `Abdullah bin Mas`ud). (4) According to the description of it given by the Holy Prophet its water will be whiter than milk (according to other traditions whiter than silver, and according to still others, whiter than snow), cooler than snow, sweeter than honey; the earth of its bed will be more fragrant than musk; the water jugs set at it will be as numerous as the stars in the sky; the one who drinks from it would never thirst; and the one who is deprived of it will never have his thirst satisfied. These things with a little variation in wording have been reported in numerous Ahadith (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Rigaq; Muslim: Kitab at-Taharah and Kitab al-Fada'il; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Umar, `Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-`As; Tirmidhi: Abwab Sifat al-Qiyanmah: Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd; Abu Da'ud: Tayalisi, Ahadith No. 995, 2135). (5) Concerning it the Holy Prophet warned the people of his time again and again, saying: "after me those from among you who would effect changes in my Way, will be removed from the Fountain and will be disallowed to approach it. I shall say: they are my companions, but it will be said: "Don't you know what they did after you? Then I too shall discard them and tell them to keep away." This subject too has been expressed in many traditions. (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Rigaq, Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab al-Tahara and Kitab al-Fada'it Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn Mas`ud, Abu Hurairah; Ibn Majah: Kitab al-Manasik. **The Hadith which Ibn Majah has related in this connection contains very pathetic words. The Holy Prophet said: "Beware! I shall have arrived at the Fountain before you and shall pride myself by your means upon the greater numbers of my Ummah as against other ummahas Do not at that time cause my face to be blackened. Beware: I shall have some people released, and some people shall be separated from me. I shall say: O my Lord, they are my companions. He will reply: Don't you know what innovations they introduced after you?" According to Ibn Majah, these words were said by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) in his Sermon at `Arafat. (6) Likewise, the Holy Prophet has also warned the Muslims coming after him till Resurrection, saying: "Whoever from among you will swerve from my Way and effect changes in it, will be removed from the Fountain. I shall say: O Lord, they belong to me, they are the people of my Ummah. In response it will be said: Don't you know what changes they effected after you and then turned back on their heels? Then I too shall turn them away and shall not allow them to approach the Fountain. "Many traditions on this subject are found in the Hadith. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Musaqat, Kitab ar-Rigaq, Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab at-Taharah. Katab as-Salat, Kitab al-Fada il; Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn `Abbas).
Traditions about this Fountain have been related by more than 50 companions, and the earliest scholars generally have taken it to mean the Fountain of Kauthar. Imam Bukhari has named the last chapter of his Kitab ar-Rigaq as Babun fil hawd wa qual-Allahu inna a `tainak al-Kauthar, and in a tradition from Hadrat Anas there is the explanation that the Holy Prophet said about Kauthar: "It is a Fountain at which my Ummah shall alight."
The River Kauthar which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) shall be granted in Paradise, also has been mentioned in a large number of the traditions cf Hadith. Many traditions have been related on the authority of Hadrat Anas in which he says (and in some he explains that he is reporting the exact words of the Holy Prophet himself) that on the occasion of mi'raj; the Holy Prophet was taken round Paradise and shown a river on the banks of which there were vaults of pearls or precious stones carved from within; the earth of its bed was of the strong scented musk. He asked Gabriel, or the angel who took him round, what it was. He replied that it was the River Kauthar, which Allah had granted him. (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud Tayalisi, Ibn Jarir) Again, according to Hadrat Anas, the Holy Prophet was asked (or a person asked him): "What is the Kauthar?' He replied; "It is a River which Allah has granted me in Paradise. Its earth is musk: its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey" (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, lbn Jarir; according to another tradition of Musnad Ahmad, describing the merits of the River Kauthar the Holy Prophet said that at its bottom there are pearls instead of pebbles. Ibn `Umar says that the Holy Prophet said: "The Kauthar is a river in Paradise the banks of which are golden; it flows on pearls and diamonds (i.e. its bed has diamonds instead of pebbles); its earth smells sweeter than musk; its water is whiter than milk (or snow), cooler than snow and sweeter than honey." (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Hatim, Darimi, Abu Da'ud Tayalisi, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah, Ibn Abi Shaibah). Usamah bin Zaid says that the Holy Prophet once went to visit Hadrat Usamah; he was not at home; his wife entertained him and during the conversation said "My husband has told me that you have been granted a river in Paradise, which is called the Kauthar." The Holy Prophet replied "Yes, and its bed is of rubies and corals and emeralds and pearls" (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Marduyah. Though the sanad of this tradition is weak, the presence of a large number of traditions dealing with this subject strengthens it). Besides these marfu traditions, a great many sayings of the Companions and their successors have been related in the Hadith to the effect that the Kauthar implies a river in Paradise. These traditions describe its qualities as have been mentioned above. For instance, the sayings of Hadrat 'Abdullah bin `Umar, Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Hadrat Anas bin Malik, Hadrat `A'ishah, Mujahid and Abul `Aliysh are found in Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i'; and the books of Ibn Marduyah, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Shaibah and other traditionists.
These are the blessings which the people have seen and witnessed as to how abundantly Allah has blessed His Holy prophet within the world. In addition, KAUTHAR also implies two great blessings which Allah will bestow on him in the Hereafter. We had no means of knowing these; therefore the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) himself gave us news of them, and told us that Kauthar also implied them. First, the Fountain of Kauthar, which he will be granted on the Resurrection Day in the Plain of Assembly; second, the River Kauthar, which he will be granted in Paradise. About both such a large number of the Ahadith have been reported from him through such a large number of the reporters that there remains no doubt about their authenticity.
WHAT THE HOLY PROPHET SAID ABOUT THE FOUNTAIN OF KAUTHAR IS AS FOLLOWS:
(1) This Fountain will be granted to him on the Resurrection Day when there will be the cry of al- atash, al- atash (thirst, thirst!) on every side. The Holy Prophet's community will gather together before him at it and will be watered thereby. He himself will be the first to arrive at it and will be occupying the central position. He has said: "This is a Fountain at which my Ummah will assemble on the Resurrection Day." (Muslim: KItab as- Salat Abu Da'ud: Kitab as-Sunnah). "I shall have arrived at the Fountain before you." (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Riqaq and Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab a!-Fida and Kitab at-Taharah; lbn Majah: Kitab al Manasik and Kitab az-Zuhd. Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat `Abdullah bin Mas'ud `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Abu Hurairah. "I shall be there before you and shall bear witness on you, and by God, I am seeing my Fountain even at this time." (Bukhari: Kitab al-jana-iz Kitab al-Maghazi, Kitab ar-Riqaq). Addressing an assembly of the Ansar, the Holy Prophet once said: "After me you will meet with selfishness and nepotism, endure it patiently until you meet me at the Fountain." (Bukhari: kitab Manaqib al-Ansar and Kitab al-Maghazi; Muslim: Kitab al-Iman; Tirmidhi: Kitab al-Fitan). "I shall be near the middle of the Fountain on the Resurrection Day." Muslim: Kitab al-Fada'il). Hadrat Abu Barzah Aslami was asked: "Have you heard something about the Fountain from the Holy Prophet? He replied: Not once, or twice, or thrice, or four or five times, but over and over again. May Allah deprive of its water the one who be lies it" (Abu Da'ud: Kitab as-Sunnah). "Ubaidullah bin Ziyad thought that the traditions about the Fountain were false; so much so that he belied all the traditions reported by Hadrat Abu Barzah Aslami, Bara' bin 'Azib and `A'idh bin 'Amr. At last, Abu Sabrah brought out a writing which he had written down after hearing it from Hadrat `Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-`As, and it contained this saying of the Holy Prophet: "Beware! Your place of meeting me will be my Fountain." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'As). (2) Different dimensions of the Fountain have been given in different traditions, but according to a large number of the traditions it will extend from Aylah (the present Israeli seaport of Ilat) to Sana'a of Yaman, or from Aylah to Adan, or from 'Amman to `Adan in length, and from Aylah to Juhfah (a place between Jeddah and Rabigh) in breadth. (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Riqaq; Abu Da'ud at Tayalisi: Hadith No. 995; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Abu Bakr Siddiq and `Abdullah bin `Umar; Muslim: Kasab al-Taharah and Kitab al-Fads il; Tirmidhi Abwab Sifat al-Qiyamah; Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd). From this it appears that on the Resurrection Day the present Red Sea itself will be turned into the Fountain of Kauthar. And the correct knowledge is only with Allah!
(3) About this Fountain the Holy Prophet hetold us that water will be supplied to it from the River Kauthar of Paradise (which is being mentioned below). "Two channels from Paradise will flow into it and supply water to it." (Muslim: Kitab al-Fada il). According to another tradition: "A canal from the River Kauthar of Paradise will be opened towards this Fountain." (Musnad Ahmad Marwiyyat `Abdullah bin Mas`ud). (4) According to the description of it given by the Holy Prophet its water will be whiter than milk (according to other traditions whiter than silver, and according to still others, whiter than snow), cooler than snow, sweeter than honey; the earth of its bed will be more fragrant than musk; the water jugs set at it will be as numerous as the stars in the sky; the one who drinks from it would never thirst; and the one who is deprived of it will never have his thirst satisfied. These things with a little variation in wording have been reported in numerous Ahadith (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Rigaq; Muslim: Kitab at-Taharah and Kitab al-Fada'il; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Umar, `Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-`As; Tirmidhi: Abwab Sifat al-Qiyanmah: Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd; Abu Da'ud: Tayalisi, Ahadith No. 995, 2135). (5) Concerning it the Holy Prophet warned the people of his time again and again, saying: "after me those from among you who would effect changes in my Way, will be removed from the Fountain and will be disallowed to approach it. I shall say: they are my companions, but it will be said: "Don't you know what they did after you? Then I too shall discard them and tell them to keep away." This subject too has been expressed in many traditions. (Bukhari: Kitab ar-Rigaq, Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab al-Tahara and Kitab al-Fada'it Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn Mas`ud, Abu Hurairah; Ibn Majah: Kitab al-Manasik. **The Hadith which Ibn Majah has related in this connection contains very pathetic words. The Holy Prophet said: "Beware! I shall have arrived at the Fountain before you and shall pride myself by your means upon the greater numbers of my Ummah as against other ummahas Do not at that time cause my face to be blackened. Beware: I shall have some people released, and some people shall be separated from me. I shall say: O my Lord, they are my companions. He will reply: Don't you know what innovations they introduced after you?" According to Ibn Majah, these words were said by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) in his Sermon at `Arafat. (6) Likewise, the Holy Prophet has also warned the Muslims coming after him till Resurrection, saying: "Whoever from among you will swerve from my Way and effect changes in it, will be removed from the Fountain. I shall say: O Lord, they belong to me, they are the people of my Ummah. In response it will be said: Don't you know what changes they effected after you and then turned back on their heels? Then I too shall turn them away and shall not allow them to approach the Fountain. "Many traditions on this subject are found in the Hadith. (Bukhari: Kitab al-Musaqat, Kitab ar-Rigaq, Kitab al-Fitan; Muslim: Kitab at-Taharah. Katab as-Salat, Kitab al-Fada il; Ibn Majah: Kitab az-Zuhd; Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyyat Ibn `Abbas).
Traditions about this Fountain have been related by more than 50 companions, and the earliest scholars generally have taken it to mean the Fountain of Kauthar. Imam Bukhari has named the last chapter of his Kitab ar-Rigaq as Babun fil hawd wa qual-Allahu inna a `tainak al-Kauthar, and in a tradition from Hadrat Anas there is the explanation that the Holy Prophet said about Kauthar: "It is a Fountain at which my Ummah shall alight."
The River Kauthar which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) shall be granted in Paradise, also has been mentioned in a large number of the traditions cf Hadith. Many traditions have been related on the authority of Hadrat Anas in which he says (and in some he explains that he is reporting the exact words of the Holy Prophet himself) that on the occasion of mi'raj; the Holy Prophet was taken round Paradise and shown a river on the banks of which there were vaults of pearls or precious stones carved from within; the earth of its bed was of the strong scented musk. He asked Gabriel, or the angel who took him round, what it was. He replied that it was the River Kauthar, which Allah had granted him. (Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Abu Da'ud Tayalisi, Ibn Jarir) Again, according to Hadrat Anas, the Holy Prophet was asked (or a person asked him): "What is the Kauthar?' He replied; "It is a River which Allah has granted me in Paradise. Its earth is musk: its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey" (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, lbn Jarir; according to another tradition of Musnad Ahmad, describing the merits of the River Kauthar the Holy Prophet said that at its bottom there are pearls instead of pebbles. Ibn `Umar says that the Holy Prophet said: "The Kauthar is a river in Paradise the banks of which are golden; it flows on pearls and diamonds (i.e. its bed has diamonds instead of pebbles); its earth smells sweeter than musk; its water is whiter than milk (or snow), cooler than snow and sweeter than honey." (Musnad Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi Hatim, Darimi, Abu Da'ud Tayalisi, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah, Ibn Abi Shaibah). Usamah bin Zaid says that the Holy Prophet once went to visit Hadrat Usamah; he was not at home; his wife entertained him and during the conversation said "My husband has told me that you have been granted a river in Paradise, which is called the Kauthar." The Holy Prophet replied "Yes, and its bed is of rubies and corals and emeralds and pearls" (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Marduyah. Though the sanad of this tradition is weak, the presence of a large number of traditions dealing with this subject strengthens it). Besides these marfu traditions, a great many sayings of the Companions and their successors have been related in the Hadith to the effect that the Kauthar implies a river in Paradise. These traditions describe its qualities as have been mentioned above. For instance, the sayings of Hadrat 'Abdullah bin `Umar, Hadrat `Abdullah bin `Abbas, Hadrat Anas bin Malik, Hadrat `A'ishah, Mujahid and Abul `Aliysh are found in Musnad Ahmad, Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i'; and the books of Ibn Marduyah, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Shaibah and other traditionists.
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ {108:2}
[Q108:2] Fa salli li rabbika wanhar.
[Q108:2] Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).
[Q108:2] Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only).
Though this verse is addressed to the Holy
Prophet (pbuh & hf) to mean that in return for
[1] the greatest blessings AND [2] the
greatest amount of the grace of ALLAH (SWT) which has been showered on him, HE SHOULD PRAY AND OFFER SACRIFICES, BUT it is a command or instruction for
everyone, saying that he who aspires for the special blessings from ALLAH (SWT) should get them through prayer
and sacrifices.
Ë As a matter of fact,
it is the common man who needs such guidance, not an Apostle of ALLAH (SWT) who
is sent duly conditioned with spiritual excellence and the necessary knowledge
of the means to achieve goodness, to show those ways to mankind.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(108:2)
So offer Prayer and sacrifice *2 to
your Lord alone.
*2 Different commentaries of it have
been reported from different scholars. Some of
them take the Prayer to mean the five times obligatory Prayer (salat); some
take it to imply the Prayer of `Id al-Adha, and some say that it implies the
Prayer itself. Likewise, the meaning of wanhar and
sacrifice according to some illustrious scholars, is to place the right hand over the
left hand and to fold them on the chest in the Prayer; some say that it implies raising both hands with Allahu
Akbar at the commencement of the Prayer; some say that it implies raising both hands at the
commencement of the Prayer, at bowing for Ruku ` and after rising from Ruku `;
and some say that it means performing the `Id al-Adha Prayer and then offering
the animal sacrifice.
BUT
IF THE CONTEXT in which this command has been enjoined, is considered, its
meaning clearly seems to be: "O
Prophet, when your Lord has granted you so many and so splendid blessing, then
you should perform the Prayer only for His sake and offer sacrifice only for
His sake." This Command was given in the environment when not only the
pagans of Quraish but the pagans of entire Arabia and the world worshipped
their self-made gods and offered sacrifices at their shrines. Therefore, the
intention of the Command is "Contrary to the polytheistic practice, you
should remain steadfast to your creed: your Prayer is only for Allah and your
sacrifice also is for Him alone, as it has been said at another place: `Declare, O Prophet, my salat and my
sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the universe, Who
has no partner with Him. This is what I have been enjoined, and I am the first
to surrender to Him.'(Al-An`am:162-163). This same meaning has been explained
of it by Ibn 'Abbas. `Ata`, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Hasan Bari, Qatadah, Muhammad
bin Ka`b al-Kurzi, Dahhak, Rabi` bin Anas, `Ata` al-Khurasani and many other
major commentators (may Allah bless them all) (Ibn Jarir). However, this by
itself is correct that when the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) enforced by
Allah's command the practice of the `Id al-Adha Prayer and the offering of
animal sacrifice at Madinah, he himself gave the first place to the Prayer
(salat and the second to the sacrifice, as commanded in the verses: Inna salati
wa nusuki and fa-salli li-Rabbika wanhar, and enjoined an the Muslims also to
do the same, i.e. they should first perform the Prayer and then offer the
sacrifice. This is neither the explanation of this verse nor the occasion of
its revelation but a deduction made by the Holy Prophet from these verses and
his deduction of injunctions also is a kind of Divine inspiration.
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ {108:3}
[Q108:3] Inna shani-aka huwal abtar.
[Q108:3] For he who makes you angry (O Muhammad (pbuh & hp)), - he will be cut off (from every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter).
[Q108:3] For he who makes you angry (O Muhammad (pbuh & hp)), - he will be cut off (from every good thing in this world and in the Hereafter).
There is a consolation as
well as a prophecy that it is the one
who taunted the Holy Prophet (pbuh &
hf) as ‘Abtar’ who
would go into oblivion and not the Holy
Prophet (pbuh & hf), for the issues which he will be blessed with through Ali
and Fatema, will
be in such abundance that none will be able to enumerate them or know their
number correctly.
Ü Today
the ‘Sadaat’ or the
issues of the Holy Prophet (pbuh &
hf) are found in every part of the world, and this wonderful abundance was
granted by ALLAH (SWT) through the one single daughter Lady Fatema who was married to Ali.
NO KING OR ANY OTHER PROPHET CAN CLAIM THIS GRACE OF HAVING
HIS LINAGE CONTINUED FOR CENTURIES TOGETHER WITH THE INNUMERABLE MEMBERS OF IT.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(108:3) Verily your enemy *3 alone has been cut off from the
roots. *4
*3 The
word shani' as
used, in the original is derived from sha 'n, which
means the hatred and spite because of which a person may start ill-treating
another. At another place in the Qur'an it has been said: "(And O
Muslims,) the enmity of any people should not so provoke you as to turn you
away from justice." (AI-Ma'idah: 8). Thus,
shani aka implies every
such person who blinded by his enmity of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
should bring false accusations against him, slander and defame him and vent his
personal spite against him by taunting and scoffing at him in every possible
way.
*4 Huwa'l abtar: "He himself is abtar", i.e. though he calls you abtar he in fact himself is abtar. Some explanations of abtar have already been given in the Introduction to the Surah. It is derived from batar which means to cut off, but idiomatically it is used in a comprehensive meaning. In the Hadith, the rak ah of the Prayer which is not coupled with another rak'ah is called butaira', i.e. the lonely rak ah. According to another Hadith "Every piece of work, which is in any way important, is abtar if it is started without the glorification and praise of Allah", implying that it is cut off from the root, It has no stability, and it is doomed to failure. A man who fails to achieve his object is abtar as also the one who is deprived of all means and resources. A person who is left with no hope of any good and success in life is also abtar. A person who has been cut off from his family, brotherhood, associates And helpers is also abtar. The word abtar is also used for the man who has no male child, or whose male child or children have died, for after him there remains no one to remember him and he is lost to posterity after death. In almost all these meanings the disbelieving Quraish called the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) abtar. At this, Allah said: "O Prophet, not you but your enemies are abtar." This was not merely a "reprisal", but a prophecy out of the most important prophecies of the Qur'an, which literally proved true. when it was made, the people regarded the Holy Prophet as abtar, and no one could imagine how the big chiefs of the Quraish would become abtar, who were famous not only in Makkah but throughout Arabia, who were successful in life, rich in worldly wealth and children, who had their associates and helpers everywhere in the country, who enjoyed intimate relations with all the Arabian tribes, being monopolists in trade and managers of Hajj But not long afterwards the conditions altogether changed. There was a time when on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (A.H. 5) the Quraish had invaded Madinah with the help of many Arabian and Jewish tribes, and the Holy Prophet being besieged had to resist the enemy by digging a trench around the city. After only three years, in A.H. 8, when he attacked Makkah, the Quraish had no helper and they had to surrender helplessy. After this within a year or so the whole Arabia came under his control, deputations of tribes from all over the country began to visit him to take the oaths of allegiance and his enemies were left utterly helpless and resourceless. Then they were so lost to posterity that even if their children survived, none of them today knows that he is a descendent of Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, `As bin Wail, or `Uqbah bin Abi Mu`ait, the enemies of lslam, and even if he knows it, he is not prepared to claim that his ancestors were those people. On the contrary, blessings are being invoked on the children of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) throughout the world; millions and millions of Muslims take pride in bearing relationship to him; hundreds of thousands of people regard it as a mark of honour and prestige to have descended not only from him but from his family and even the families of his Companions. Thus, some one is a Sayyid, another an 'Alavi, and `Abbasi, a Hashmi, a Siddiqi, a Faruqi, an `Uthmani, a Zubairi, or an Ansari, but no one is an Abu Jahli or Abu Lahabi. History has proved that not the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) but his enemies were, and are, abtar.
*4 Huwa'l abtar: "He himself is abtar", i.e. though he calls you abtar he in fact himself is abtar. Some explanations of abtar have already been given in the Introduction to the Surah. It is derived from batar which means to cut off, but idiomatically it is used in a comprehensive meaning. In the Hadith, the rak ah of the Prayer which is not coupled with another rak'ah is called butaira', i.e. the lonely rak ah. According to another Hadith "Every piece of work, which is in any way important, is abtar if it is started without the glorification and praise of Allah", implying that it is cut off from the root, It has no stability, and it is doomed to failure. A man who fails to achieve his object is abtar as also the one who is deprived of all means and resources. A person who is left with no hope of any good and success in life is also abtar. A person who has been cut off from his family, brotherhood, associates And helpers is also abtar. The word abtar is also used for the man who has no male child, or whose male child or children have died, for after him there remains no one to remember him and he is lost to posterity after death. In almost all these meanings the disbelieving Quraish called the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) abtar. At this, Allah said: "O Prophet, not you but your enemies are abtar." This was not merely a "reprisal", but a prophecy out of the most important prophecies of the Qur'an, which literally proved true. when it was made, the people regarded the Holy Prophet as abtar, and no one could imagine how the big chiefs of the Quraish would become abtar, who were famous not only in Makkah but throughout Arabia, who were successful in life, rich in worldly wealth and children, who had their associates and helpers everywhere in the country, who enjoyed intimate relations with all the Arabian tribes, being monopolists in trade and managers of Hajj But not long afterwards the conditions altogether changed. There was a time when on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (A.H. 5) the Quraish had invaded Madinah with the help of many Arabian and Jewish tribes, and the Holy Prophet being besieged had to resist the enemy by digging a trench around the city. After only three years, in A.H. 8, when he attacked Makkah, the Quraish had no helper and they had to surrender helplessy. After this within a year or so the whole Arabia came under his control, deputations of tribes from all over the country began to visit him to take the oaths of allegiance and his enemies were left utterly helpless and resourceless. Then they were so lost to posterity that even if their children survived, none of them today knows that he is a descendent of Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, `As bin Wail, or `Uqbah bin Abi Mu`ait, the enemies of lslam, and even if he knows it, he is not prepared to claim that his ancestors were those people. On the contrary, blessings are being invoked on the children of the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) throughout the world; millions and millions of Muslims take pride in bearing relationship to him; hundreds of thousands of people regard it as a mark of honour and prestige to have descended not only from him but from his family and even the families of his Companions. Thus, some one is a Sayyid, another an 'Alavi, and `Abbasi, a Hashmi, a Siddiqi, a Faruqi, an `Uthmani, a Zubairi, or an Ansari, but no one is an Abu Jahli or Abu Lahabi. History has proved that not the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) but his enemies were, and are, abtar.
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