Part of The Gentle Commentary (series completed)
· Lesson 7 of 117
The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surat Al-Kawthar
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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"The Graceful Commentary on the Introductory Profile Cards
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for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an,"
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by Dr. Muhammad Ibn Abdulaziz Ibn Omar Naseef,
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may Allah preserve him.
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Surah al-Kawthar.
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
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and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,
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and upon all his family and Companions.
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We continue with our graceful commentary on the introductory profile cards,
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and we have reached Surah al-Kawthar.
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I would like to make three reflective points regarding it.
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The first point
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relates to what is mentioned concerning it—as is the case with several surahs—
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where you find it designated as Madinan,
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yet
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when you examine the order of revelation of the surah,
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it is indicated to be Makkan.
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This is not a contradiction;
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rather, its Makkan classification is according to the well-known
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chronological order of revelation,
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which designated it as Makkan.
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We have pointed out this well-known order several times
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in this commentary and throughout the book.
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As for what is recorded at the top of the page—
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stating whether it is Madinan or Makkan according to the weightier view—
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this relies on the two scholarly research references
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mentioned in several places.
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Thus, it is Madinan according to the preferred view,
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but according to the well-known chronological order
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of revelation,
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it is
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Makkan, and Allah knows best.
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The second reflection,
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or the second point,
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is
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that this surah,
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despite its brevity,
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encompasses three distinct themes:
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an honoring at its beginning,
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an obligation at its middle,
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and reassurance
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at its end.
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Despite its conciseness, it encompasses
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these
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three themes.
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This is part of its eloquence
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and its inimitability.
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Scholars have given great attention to this surah;
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just as they attended to Surah al-'Asr, which is also short,
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their attention to al-Kawthar—as far as I have observed—is even greater.
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Multiple works have been authored on it
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demonstrating
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the inimitability of this surah
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and its sublime eloquence.
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Nonetheless,
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and this is the third point,
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it also contains
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another dimension of inimitability.
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When we speak of inimitability, it generally refers to rhetorical inimitability,
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that of literary expression,
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as that is the most prominent scholarly opinion
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regarding the secret of the Qur'an's inimitability.
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The studies I have examined on the
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Tafsir of Surah al-Kawthar focused on this matter
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primarily—
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on the eloquence
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of the structural arrangement
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of the Qur'an
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in Surah al-Kawthar.
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However,
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within this miracle
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that is Surah al-Kawthar,
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within this miracle lies
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another miracle:
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namely,
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the foretelling of the unseen.
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Allah said:
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“Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity.” (108:3)
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Whether this was
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among what was revealed in Makkah
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before the Hijrah,
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when the Muslims were in a state of weakness,
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or after the Hijrah, it remains a living miracle
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to this very day,
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plainly visible to us.
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For anyone who has ever hated the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
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and made his hatred manifest,
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his ultimate fate has inevitably been
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severance, ruin,
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the obliteration of his remembrance,
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and the loss of all honor,
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even if only after
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a short while.
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Notice, conversely,
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that his own remembrance (peace be upon him)
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continues to be elevated ever higher.
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His name
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is proclaimed in every call to prayer:
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"I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah;
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I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,"
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across all corners of the earth.
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Hardly a minute goes by
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without a caller making the adhan somewhere on earth
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when the time for prayer arrives.
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And invariably,
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every prayer is preceded by the adhan
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and the iqamah.
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Thus, his station remains exalted,
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while his enemy—
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that is, the one who hates him—
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is completely cut off,
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in fulfillment of this verse,
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which stands
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as enduring proof
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of his truthfulness,
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peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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and that this Qur'an is indeed
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from the Knower of the unseen,
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Glorified and Exalted is He.
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I will conclude with this much,
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and I send blessings upon the Messenger of Allah,
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and upon his family and Companions,
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and whoever follows his guidance.