In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"The Graceful Commentary on the Introductory Profile Cards
for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an,"
by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abdulaziz Ibn Omar Naseef,
may Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Kawthar.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,
and upon all his family and Companions.
We continue with our graceful commentary on the introductory profile cards,
and we have reached Surah al-Kawthar.
I would like to make three reflective points regarding it.
The first point
relates to what is mentioned concerning it—as is the case with several surahs—
where you find it designated as Madinan,
yet
when you examine the order of revelation of the surah,
it is indicated to be Makkan.
This is not a contradiction;
rather, its Makkan classification is according to the well-known
chronological order of revelation,
which designated it as Makkan.
We have pointed out this well-known order several times
in this commentary and throughout the book.
As for what is recorded at the top of the page—
stating whether it is Madinan or Makkan according to the weightier view—
this relies on the two scholarly research references
mentioned in several places.
Thus, it is Madinan according to the preferred view,
but according to the well-known chronological order
of revelation,
it is
Makkan, and Allah knows best.
The second reflection,
or the second point,
is
that this surah,
despite its brevity,
encompasses three distinct themes:
an honoring at its beginning,
an obligation at its middle,
and reassurance
at its end.
Despite its conciseness, it encompasses
these
three themes.
This is part of its eloquence
and its inimitability.
Scholars have given great attention to this surah;
just as they attended to Surah al-'Asr, which is also short,
their attention to al-Kawthar—as far as I have observed—is even greater.
Multiple works have been authored on it
demonstrating
the inimitability of this surah
and its sublime eloquence.
Nonetheless,
and this is the third point,
it also contains
another dimension of inimitability.
When we speak of inimitability, it generally refers to rhetorical inimitability,
that of literary expression,
as that is the most prominent scholarly opinion
regarding the secret of the Qur'an's inimitability.
The studies I have examined on the
Tafsir of Surah al-Kawthar focused on this matter
primarily—
on the eloquence
of the structural arrangement
of the Qur'an
in Surah al-Kawthar.
However,
within this miracle
that is Surah al-Kawthar,
within this miracle lies
another miracle:
namely,
the foretelling of the unseen.
Allah said:
“Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity.” (108:3)
Whether this was
among what was revealed in Makkah
before the Hijrah,
when the Muslims were in a state of weakness,
or after the Hijrah, it remains a living miracle
to this very day,
plainly visible to us.
For anyone who has ever hated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and made his hatred manifest,
his ultimate fate has inevitably been
severance, ruin,
the obliteration of his remembrance,
and the loss of all honor,
even if only after
a short while.
Notice, conversely,
that his own remembrance (peace be upon him)
continues to be elevated ever higher.
His name
is proclaimed in every call to prayer:
"I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah;
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,"
across all corners of the earth.
Hardly a minute goes by
without a caller making the adhan somewhere on earth
when the time for prayer arrives.
And invariably,
every prayer is preceded by the adhan
and the iqamah.
Thus, his station remains exalted,
while his enemy—
that is, the one who hates him—
is completely cut off,
in fulfillment of this verse,
which stands
as enduring proof
of his truthfulness,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and that this Qur'an is indeed
from the Knower of the unseen,
Glorified and Exalted is He.
I will conclude with this much,
and I send blessings upon the Messenger of Allah,
and upon his family and Companions,
and whoever follows his guidance.