اِنَّاۤ اَعْطَيْنٰكَ الْكَوْثَرَ (1) فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ (2) اِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَبْتَرُ (3)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:108, Ayah:1 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:108 Ayah:1-3
“(0 Prophet,) surely We have given to you Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradize). So, offer salah (prayer) to your Lord, and sacrifice. Surely it is your enemy whose traces are cut off.”
Explanation:
The verses cited above are those of Surah Al-Kauthar which is the shortest Surah in the Holy Qura’n. But, it amounts to ‘the shorter in size, the more in price’. Despite being a shortest Surah, it contains the whole philosophy of success.
Literally, the Arabic word ‘Kauthar’ means anything in abundance. What it refers here is that what the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been gifted with is abundant quantity. Therefore, Hazrat Ibne Abbas (R.T.A.) interprets with ‘abundant goodness’ which includes everything good, though an attempt has been made to specify here something particular. Some people have interpreted it with the River of Kauthar which will be given to the Holy Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgment While according to some people, it has been interpreted with ‘the fountain of Kauthar’ with the help of which he will quench the thirst of his people. According to some people, it refers to ‘Islam’ and to some people it means ‘The Holy Qura’n’ while others interpret it with ‘prophethood’ and some with ‘Ka’bah’. However, this word includes all the fountains of abundant goodness from each angle. But, if we take into consideration the circumstances and age in which this Surah had been revealed, it is more preferable to interpret it with the blessing of Islam.
It should be clear enough that this Surah is Makki and revealed in Makkah in such a background when the Holy Prophet ﷺ was boycotted and his companions were inflicted with indescribable cruelties and oppression unless Allah, the Almighty permitted them to migrate from Makkah to Madinah – so to speak – the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions were forced to leave their families and homes and hearths as a punishment for propagating Islam. In other words, they were totally alone. On the top of it, they were blamed for leaving their own people, and, hence, they had no right to live more as A’as bin Wail is reported to have said “بَتِرَ مُحَمـَد مـِنا” Muhammad has been cut off us, and, hence, he has no support for him. It was in this condition that Allah, the Almighty gave him a good news that he was given the best thing in the world i.e. Islam, so, how could he be invaluable with such thing. Besides it, he was also given a good news that those who were blaming him to be cut off, one day will come that they themselves will feel cut off. Says Allah, the Almighty:
اِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَبْتَرُ Ǽ
“Surely it is your enemy whose traces are cut off.”
This is what has been given as a good news through this verse, since it is Allah Who is the real Maintainer of everything. He changes the circumstance as He wishes. It aims at clarifying that is He who would help them as He bestowed the with a blessing of Islam and made them responsible for propagating it, and, hence, they needed no more to be disheartened, rather keep on observing their duty.
As for fulfilling one’s duty, there have been mentioned two principles for it. One of them is to establish Salah and secondly to give sacrifice. It means, in order to fulfil this responsibility, it is must to follow these two principles.
To establish Salah, in reality, aims at strengthening and stablishing one’s relationship with Allah so that one continues receiving His help and support. Similarly, Salah is a phenomenon of sincerity and devotion to Allah i.e. apart from self-exhibiting, one observes this act solely to seek Allah’s good countenance. It is for this reason that there has been added the word ‘لِرَبِكَ’ with ‘فَصَلِ’meaning, offer Salah to your Lord. Just like everything in the world, concentration and devotion is also required in Islam. None is supposed to gain anything without it. Therefore, the quality of ‘حنیفیت’being upright is demanded from us. It was Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) who was most upright in the sight of Allah, therefore, a characteristic of ‘حنیف’ is mentioned for him in the Holy Qura’n.
As for offering sacrifice, there has been used a word as ‘نحر’ which is particularly used for slaughtering a camel. But, here it does not necessarily mean that excluding other animals, it is only the sacrifice of camel that is acceptable in the sight of Allah. The fact is that camel was considered to be the most costly animal to Arab, and, hence, anyone who possessed it was regarded to be a rich. In this sense of meaning, what sacrificing a camel means here is that one must offer to Allah which he likes the most. Or else, as far as the sacrifice of other animals is considered, they also had been sacrificed by the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions.
It appears in a tradition of Tirmizi Shareef that on the occasion of Hudaibiyah, besides camel, the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions also sacrificed a cow. According to some commentators of the Holy Qura’n, since the Jews had declared the sacrifice of a camel, Allah, the Almighty ordered to sacrifice camel particularly to correct this notion of them. However, what is required from is that we must sacrifice in the way of Allah for the propagation and upliftment of Allah’s Word. In reality, the sacrifice of an animal is nothing but a symbolic form to stimulate one’s courage and morale while the fact is that the sacrifice we make in the memory of Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) and his son Hazrat Ismail (A.S.) aimed at not sacrificing the animal but one’s own self, relatives, near and dear ones, property and everything in one’s possession which is only the real spirit of sacrifice.
In fact, when a man sacrifices his belongings for Allah, it means he fulfills its right and deserves to receive abundant blessings and bounties of Allah in its return and even Allah takes utmost care of such a person like turning for him fire into garden of flowers, running a fountain of Zam Zam and makes his activities immortal through the deeds performed during Hajj.
As a matter of fact, even in worldly affairs, no one is supposed to gain anything without pain as it is proverbial, ‘No gain without pain’. Similarly, there is an Arabic saying, ‘من لم يركب الاهوال لم ينل الرغائب’ meaning none can attain his interesting thing without undergoing pains and difficulties. This is the same principle which lies in the commandment of Allah given by the word ‘وانحر’. This is so important point that some scholars have named this Surah as Surah Al-Nahr i.e. the Surah containing the description of sacrifice.
Another most important point needs to be clarified here is that the way the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his companions were boycotted, in the same way, even these days Islam and its followers are being boycotted everywhere as a punishment for making attempts in respect of Islamic awakening and its movements. But, we no more need to be afraid or disheartened as it is a sign of revolution and progress. Though, apparently, the circumstances do not seem favourable, but, only if we strengthen our relationship with the One and Only Who has power everything and sacrifice in His noble cause as required from us, He may, no doubt, change it by His mercy. Let’s observe our duty and see how Allah changes the scenario in our favour, how he dominate the believers on others and wipe out the enemies of Islam from the surface of this earth!