Tafsir for verses: 108:1, 108:2, 108:3
إِنَّآ أَعۡطَيۡنَٰكَ ٱلۡكَوۡثَرَ ١ ﴿1 فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنۡحَرۡ ٢ ﴿2 إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلۡأَبۡتَرُ ٣ ﴿3
1(O Prophet,) surely We have given to you Al-Kauthar. 2So, offer Salāh (prayer) to your Lord, and sacrifice. 3Surely it is your enemy whose traces are cut off.
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Commentary

It is Meccan, and its verses are 3. "It was revealed after Al-Adiyat." 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.'

In the recitation of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: "Indeed, We have given you," with the pronoun 'We' [[Narrated by Al-Tabarani and Al-Daraqutni in Al-Mu'talif, Al-Hakim, Ibn Mardawayh, and Al-Thalabi from the narration of Amr ibn Ubaid from Al-Hasan from his mother from Umm Salama, and the narration of Amr ibn Ubaid is weak.]]. And in his saying, blessings and peace be upon him [[It is in the previous narration in Surah Yunus.]]: "And give the abundant good." [[The term "and give the abundant good" in the dictionary means "the abundant good" which is the middle between the good and the bad.]] Al-Kawthar: it is derived from abundance and it signifies extreme abundance. It was said to a Bedouin woman whose son returned from travel: "How did your son return?" She said: "He returned with abundance." And he said:

"And you are abundant, O son of Marwan, good... And your father was the son of the good ones, abundant." [[This is by Al-Kumayt. "And you are abundant" means abundant in goodness and virtue. It is narrated alternatively as: "Kawthar." In the guidance, there is a mention of his name and a glorification of his status. The good is borrowed for good conduct. It may be that it is the opposite of the bad. "Al-Aqail" refers to the best of women, and it means their kind or what includes grandmothers. Al-Kawthar is the ultimate in goodness.]] And it is said that Al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise. And the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, recited it when it was revealed to him and said:

"Do you know what Al-Kawthar is? It is a river in Paradise that my Lord has promised me, in it is much good [[Narrated by Muslim from the narration of Al-Mukhtar ibn Fulful from Anas in a lengthy hadith he mentioned at the beginning of prayer.]]" And it was narrated in its description:

"Sweeter than honey, whiter than milk, colder than ice, and softer than butter, its banks are made of emerald, and its vessels are made of silver, as numerous as the stars in the sky [[Narrated by Al-Hakim from the hadith of Abu Barzah, raised: "My basin is from Ailah to Sana'a: its width is like its length. In it are two spouts pouring from Paradise, sweeter than honey, colder than ice, whiter than milk, and softer than butter, in it are vessels as numerous as the stars in the sky - the hadith." And in Ibn Mardawayh from the hadith of Ibn Abbas in the story of Al-Isra - he mentioned a very long hadith. In it, he mentioned Al-Kawthar and its banks are made of emerald.]]." It was narrated: "Whoever drinks from it will never thirst again: the first to drink from it:\

The poor among the emigrants: they are those whose clothes are dirty, whose heads are unkempt, who do not marry the wealthy, and for whom the doors of provision are not opened. One of them may die while his need is stirring in his chest; if he were to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it. [Narrated by Ibn Majah, Ahmad, and Al-Tabarani from the hadith of Thawban. In it, it is said: 'My basin is between Aden and Ailah. It is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Its cups are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Whoever drinks from it will never thirst again. And the first to enter it will be the poor among the emigrants, dirty in their clothes and unkempt in their heads, who do not marry the wealthy and for whom the doors of provision are not opened.'] And Ibn Abbas interpreted Al-Kawthar as abundant good. So, Sa'id ibn Jubair said to him: 'Some people say it is a river in Paradise!' He replied: 'It is abundant good.' And Al-Nahr: the slaughtering of the animal. And from Atiyyah: it is the Fajr prayer in congregation, and Al-Nahr in Mina. It was said: it is the Eid prayer and the sacrifice. It was said: it is a type of prayer. And Al-Nahr: placing the right hand over the left. The meaning is: I have given you wealth, the extent of which is great from the good of both abodes, which no one else has been given besides you. And the giver of all this is I, the Lord of the worlds. Therefore, two great joys have been gathered for you: the attainment of the most honorable gift, which is Al-Kawthar... etc. Ahmad said: 'Al-Zamakhshari placed the pronoun between the two parts to restrict it to specificity because its implication here is an open statement.' The attainment of the most honorable and abundant gift, from the most generous giver and the greatest benefactor. So worship your Lord who has honored you by giving you, and has elevated you and protected you from the favors of creation, opposing your people who worship others besides Allah. And sacrifice for His sake and in His name when you sacrifice, opposing them in the sacrifice to the idols. Indeed, those who hate you from your people for your opposition to them are the abtar, not you, because everyone born until the Day of Resurrection from the believers are your children and descendants. Your mention is raised on pulpits and lighthouses, and on the tongue of every scholar and rememberer until the end of time. It begins with the mention of Allah and is followed by your mention. And for you in the Hereafter is that which cannot be described. So, one like you is not to be called abtar: rather, the abtar is your enemy who is forgotten in this world and the Hereafter, and if mentioned, it is with cursing. They used to say: 'Indeed, Muhammad is abtar' [The saying 'Indeed, Muhammad is abtar' is mentioned in the dictionary with meanings: the individual man, weak, humble, without family, offspring, or supporter, etc.]. If he dies, his mention will die. And it was said: it was revealed about Al-'As ibn Wa'il, who called him abtar. And abtar is one who has no offspring. From it: the abtar donkey which has no tail. From the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Whoever recites Surah Al-Kawthar, Allah will give him to drink from every river in Paradise, and he will be recorded for him ten good deeds for every sacrifice that the servants offer on the Day of Sacrifice or that they bring.' [Narrated by Al-Thalabi and Ibn Mardawayh with their chain to Abu ibn Kab.]

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Al-ZamakhshariAbū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī
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