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الكوثر

Surah Al-Kawthar (الكوثر) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio

Chapter 108 of the Quran, 3 verses, "The Abundance"

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Surah Al-Kawthar Transliteration and English Translation

  1. 1

    إِنَّآ أَعْطَيْنَٰكَ ٱلْكَوْثَرَ

    Innaa a'taina kal kauthar

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

  2. 2

    فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنْحَرْ

    Fa salli li rabbika wanhar

    So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].

  3. 3

    إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلْأَبْتَرُ

    Inna shani-aka huwal abtar

    Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.

About Surah Al-Kawthar

Surah Al-Kawthar (Arabic: الكوثر), meaning "The Abundance", is the 108th chapter of the Quran and has 3 verses. It was revealed in Makkah in the early years of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and it is the shortest surah by word count. It announces the abundant good Allah granted His Prophet and calls him to respond with prayer and sacrifice.

Allah tells His Prophet that He has granted him al-Kawthar. Sahih al-Bukhari reports from Anas that al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise, and from Ibn Abbas that it is the abundant good Allah gave the Prophet, which includes that river. In Sahih Muslim the Prophet described it as a river his Lord promised him, with a pool from which his community will drink on the Day of Resurrection. The response follows: so pray to your Lord and sacrifice to Him alone. The third verse turns to the Prophet's enemy: it is he who is al-abtar, cut off from lasting good and remembrance. It is reported that opponents mocked the Prophet as abtar after the death of his infant sons, and the surah answered that the mocker would be the one cut off, while the Prophet's mention would endure.

Main Themes of Surah Al-Kawthar

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Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Kawthar

What is al-Kawthar?
Sahih al-Bukhari reports that al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise, and that Ibn Abbas explained it as the abundant good Allah gave the Prophet (peace be upon him), which includes that river. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet also linked it to the pool from which his community will drink on the Day of Resurrection.
Who is al-abtar in Surah Al-Kawthar?
Al-abtar means one who is cut off. It is reported that the Prophet's opponents used it to mock him after his sons died in infancy, but the word is broader than being childless: it means cut off from lasting good and from being remembered. The surah declares that this is the fate of the Prophet's enemy, not of the Prophet.
Is Surah Al-Kawthar the shortest surah in the Quran?
By word count, yes. Al-Asr and An-Nasr also have 3 verses, but Al-Kawthar has the fewest words of any surah.

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