Ayah 1:

إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ

Inna aAAtaynaka al kawthar

Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.

What is;

al Kawthar: the Abundant Good (khayr al katheer).

al Kawthar = The river in Paradise, and a pond on Judgment Day which Allah’s Messenger will give water to from his followers before the entrance into Paradise. They are 2 sources of water.

(many reports of the Salaf (earlier generations) and tafaseer/qur’an explanations hold this view).

Other scholars did not limit it to just the 2 sources of water mentioned. Others mentioned other forms of Abundant Good too.

Tafseer al Kabeer – ar-Razi states:

al Kawthar (the Abundant Good): includes many things.

We will list them below;

1 - Allah did not leave (tawddee’) His Messenger and is not displeased:
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
ma wada'aka Rabka wama qalaa

- Your Lord has neither forsaken you, He has [not] abandoned you, (O Muhammad)- surah Duha 93:3)

qalaaKa – displeased (with) You.

But Allah never said Ka at the end because He did not want to place the word Qalaa ([Allah being] displeased) next to His Messengers’ name.

Allah will not abandon His Messenger.

2

  -وَلَلْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الْأُولَىٰ

- what is at the end is better for you than the beginning. (Duha 93:4)

3

-وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ

- your Master will soon give you so you are satisfied. (Duha 93:5)

This surah in ayah 1 is – إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ- surely We have given you an Abundance (of good). (Kawthar 108:1)

And what was it that Allah’s Messenger would only be pleased/satisfied with?

“I will not be pleased until all my ummah [nation] is saved from the hellfire.”

This is how much he loved and cared for his followers.

4-

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ

- Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? (Duha 93:6)

5-

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ

- and He found you desperately seeking [ضَالًّا] , so He guided you. (Duha 93:7)

6-

وَوَجَدَكَ عَائِلًا فَأَغْنَىٰ

- and He found you poor and He enriched you.

(all the above from surah Duha)

Now from surah al Inshirah [94]:

7 -

أَلَمْ نَشْرَحْ لَكَ صَدْرَكَ

- Did We not expand your chest for you? [Inshirah 94:1]

Allah expanded his chest for him in a way which was not expanded for anyone before or after him. This expansion of the chest implies that you don’t feel constricted and tight inside, rather – you feel you are internally at ease even through the most difficult of circumstances.

In the Qur’an sense – it also implies that Allah has expanded the chest of Allah’s Messenger so the Qur’an is placed upon it, and Allah has given him full understanding of the meanings of the Qur’an. A Qur’an, which if it was to be revealed as a whole upon a mountain, the mountain would crumble out of awe and fear of Allah -

لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ

. [see surah Hashr 59:21]

So Allah expanding the chest of His Messenger to contain the whole Qur’an its meaning is an abundance of good.

Once Allah’s Messenger was sitting on top of a camel, and Revelation (wahy) came to him. Suddenly the camel’s back began to lower (out of weight of Revelation), and suddenly the camel sat down into the sand due to the heaviness of the message.

Once a companion was close to Allah’s Messenger, and revelation came and the companion thought his leg had a massive weight falling upon it so his leg/knee was about to snap.

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا

- Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty/heavy Word [the Qur'an]
(Surah Muzzamil 73:5)

But the Messengers’ chest was expanded so he could carry this heavy message.

8 –

وَوَضَعْنَا عَنكَ وِزْرَكَالَّذِي أَنقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ

- and removed from you your extremely heavy burden – the one that was breaking your back.[Inshirah 94:2-3]

9 -

وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ

- We raised your remembrance. [Inshirah 94:5]

Everytime around the globe – Allah’s Messenger is mentioned in Azan [the call to prayer]. And when people hear his name – they are praying for Allah to send peace and blessings upon him.

And through time in history, his remembrance is increasing and not decreasing.

10 -

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَآمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

[Surah Ahzab 33:56]

By Allah mentioning Himself and the angels first before the verb; In Allaha wa mala’ikatuhu yu salloona ‘ala an-naby (surah ahzab) =
Imagine, no doubt Allah and His angels are sending peace and blessings upon the Prophet, oh you who believe, send prayers of peace and blessings upon him.

10a -

لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

By your life, [O Muhammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly.[al Hijr 15:72]

Allah swore (did an oath) by no human specifically except Allah’s Messenger.

10b – And Allah swore by Himself by mentioning His Messenger;

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

But no, by your Lord [O Muhammad], they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission. [Nisa' 4:65]

11 - Allah honored His Messenger with an unendless reward, and due to His love for His Messenger, He would give an unendless reward to his followers too:

وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجْرًا غَيْرَ مَمْنُونٍ

- And verily, for you (O Muhammad SAW) will be an endless reward. – [surah Qalam 68:3]

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌغَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ

Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds – for them is a reward uninterrupted. [Surah Fussilat 41:8]

12 - Allah chose His Messenger specifically with a specific choosing:

Allah chose him with a selected special closeness.

Surah Alaq -

وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب

– “wasjud waqtarib” – and prostrate and get closer to your Master['Alaq 96:19].

ar-Razi concludes; it is like Allah is telling His Messenger;

I give you all these gifts in these different surahs’ and aayaat, each gift is more valuable than the kingdom and treasures of this world – so you remain busy in the servitude and enslavement towards your Master (this is linked to ayah 2 of al kawthar as we will see).

13 – Allah associated His Name with the Messenger’s name:

Abu Saeed al Khudri said: Angel Jibreel said to Allah’s Messenger, that Allah said;

Do you know (O Muhammad) how I raised your mention [rafa'na laka dhikrak]?

Qultu (I [the Prophet] said): Allahu ta’aala a’lam bihi[Allah the Most High knows].

Allah said; Whenever I am mentioned, you [O Muhammad] are mentioned with Me. (idha dhukirtu, dhukirtu ma’i)

Allah’s Messenger is mentioned along with Allah’s name in everything – In the; Shahadah [testimony of faith], Adhan [call to prayer], tashahud [in prayer], his name – Muhammad – is always mentioned next to Allah’s name. A great honour.

And we should feel a great honour in being the people of Prophet Muhammad pbuh and being those who get to send blessings on him.

ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALA MUHAMMADIW WA ALA AALI MUHAMMADIN KAMAA SALLAITA ALA IBRAHIMA WA ALA AALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMIDUM MAJID. ALLAHUMMA BAARIK ALA MUHAMMADIW WA ALA AALI MUHAMMADIN KAMAA BAARAKTA ALA IBRAHIMA WA ALA AALI IBRAHIMA INNAKA HAMIDUM MAJID.

"O Allah, let Your Blessings come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious".