Sūrah 108 · Meccan

How Sūrah Al-Kawthar was revealed.

Where and when it came down, what it teaches, and the hadith about it — all on one calm page.

Read Al-Kawthar → The revelation story
Where revealed Meccan

Revealed in the Meccan period, before the migration to Madīnah.

Order of revelation #15

Its place in the traditional order in which the sūrahs were revealed.

Length 3 ayahs

1 reading sections in the Muṣḥaf.

The revelation story

How and when it came down.

This surah is a declaration of divine grace and triumph for the Prophet (ﷺ). Its purpose is to announce the immense gift of Abundance, or a River in Paradise, commanding the Prophet (ﷺ) to dedicate all prayer and sacrifice to Allah alone. It serves to console the Prophet (ﷺ) by assuring him that his enemies, who mocked his lack of sons, are the ones who will be truly “cut off”.

Themes and purpose:

This surah is a declaration of divine grace and triumph for the Prophet (ﷺ). Its purpose is to announce the immense gift of Abundance, or a River in Paradise, commanding the Prophet (ﷺ) to dedicate all prayer and sacrifice to Allah alone. It serves to console the Prophet (ﷺ) by assuring him that his enemies, who mocked his lack of sons, are the ones who will be truly “cut off”.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan according to the majority, though some evidence supports the view that it was revealed in Madinah.

Context: The surah was revealed to console the Prophet (ﷺ) after his sons passed away, which led a polytheist like Al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wā’il to mock him by calling him abtar (one whose progeny is cut off).

Chronology: According to the view that it is Makkan, it is counted as the 15th surah, revealed after Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt and before al-Takāthur.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as "Sūrat al-Kawthar" (The Abundance) or "Sūrat Innā aʿṭaynāka al-kawthar" with the opening ayah, and also as "Sūrat al-Naḥr" (The Sacrifice).

Classification: It is the shortest surah in the Quran in terms of words and letters.

Verse Count: 3 ayahs by unanimous agreement.

Surah Overview:

  • The Promise: Giving the Prophet (ﷺ) the glad tidings of al-Kawthar (Abundance) in this world and the Hereafter. [1]
  • The Command: Ordering the Prophet (ﷺ) to show gratitude for this gift by dedicating all prayer and sacrifice solely to Allah. [2]
  • Divine Defense: Assuring the Prophet (ﷺ) that his worst enemy, who reviled him, is the one who will be utterly cut off and whose efforts will be without fruit. [3]

Sūrah background — via the Quran Foundation Content API. Shown as supplied by the provider. We do not edit, summarise or generate it.

Hadith about this sūrah

What the hadith say.

These 1 narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī are connected to specific āyāt of this sūrah — a linkage reviewed by the Quran Foundation. Open any one to read it in full, in Arabic and English.

  1. Relates to āyah1
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4965

    حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْكَاهِلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَ سَأَلْتُهَا عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى ‏﴿‏إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ‏﴾‏ قَالَتْ نَهَرٌ أُعْطِيَهُ نَبِيُّكُمْ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَاطِئَاهُ عَلَيْهِ دُرٌّ مُجَوَّفٌ آنِيَتُهُ كَعَدَدِ النُّجُومِ‏.‏ رَوَاهُ زَكَرِيَّاءُ وَأَبُو الأَحْوَصِ وَمُطَرِّفٌ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ‏.‏

    Narrated Abu Ubaida: I asked `Aisha 'regarding the verse:--'Verily we have granted you the Kauthar.' She replied, "The Kauthar is a river which has been given to your Prophet on the banks of which there are (tents of) hollow pearls and its utensils are as numberless as the stars."

    Open at Sunnah.com →

The link between each āyah and these narrations is the Quran Foundation's reviewed reference map. The wording is reproduced verbatim from a public-domain edition of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and is not edited, summarised or generated; every narration also opens at Sunnah.com so it can be checked against another copy.

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