The Prophet pbuh was sleeping. Suddenly he woke up and smiled. Someone asked, “O apostle, why are you smiling?”
“Just now I received a revelation.” The Prophet replied.
“The revelation of what O apostle?”
Prophet Muhammad pbuh recited Surah Al-Kawthar from beginning to end. Then he asked, “Do you know what Al-Kawthar is?”
“Allah and His Apostle know better than us!” The companions replied almost in unison.
“Al-Kawthar is a lake that Allah promised unto me in heaven. In this lake there are full of goodness. My Ummah will be there. Its vessels are as many stars as in the sky. Then there is a servant comes with trembling fear. I said,” O my Lord! He is my people! “Allah replied,” (Not), because you do not know what he’s doing after you! “
***
Ka’ab ibn al-Asra came to Mecca. Inhabitants of Mecca, the Quraysh said to him, “We are experts in providing something to drink for the pilgrimage and debating, well…do you think, which one is better between us and Muhammad that has already blown from our people?”
“Yeah you are better than him!” Ka’ab said.
The news reached the Prophet pbuh. As usual, the lover of Allah was simply responding with patient. He did not think much about it.
Quraysh people who hated the Prophet, thought when the Prophet was not recognized as a part of their people, it was considered there was no successor, for not having a son. Then Allah affirmed that “Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off” (Surah Al-Kawthar [108]: 3)
***
Then, what is the connection between the first paragraph of Al-Kawthar, the third paragraph (breaking descent), with the second paragraph that talking about command of prayer and sacrifice?
In my understanding, the relationships between the three verses are as follows:
- In a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim in the beginning, confirms that the apostle of Allah and his people will meet at the fountain in heaven called al-Kawthar. This unites them in a place is faith (iman), not only born after the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. Hence, when the prophet said that the person was his people, Allah denied, it is not his people, because he is doing something different to what the Prophet SAW conveyed, aka no faith in his treatise.
- Prayer is to differentiate between believers and unbelievers. Likewise, the way of sacrificing between believers and unbelievers is different. A person would be called the people of Muhammad pbuh, when he prays and sacrifices as he (the Messenger) preached.
- Quraish people thought that when the Prophet Muhammad pbuh was not recognized as a part of their families and did not have a son their lineage was lost. Whereas in Islam, the Prophet’s successor, not by lineage, but faith. Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad pbuh is the parent of the believers. This is why, the Prophet Ibrahim AS is called Abul Anbiya (Parents of the prophets and apostles) including the parents of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh because the same as believers. Similar to the wives of the Prophet Muhammad are called “Ummul mu’minin” (Mother of the believers. When his wife called the mother, then automatically he (the Prophet) is father of the faithful. Accordingly, as long as there are still believers, then there are people who will continue the struggle of the Prophet pbuh.
Are we peopling of faith and the Messenger’s people who are entitled to meet with the prophet at the lake of Kawthar? Do we have prayed and sacrificed as what Prophet Muhammad taught? Do we include into people who believe in continuing struggle of the prophet?
