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Surah: Al-Kawthar (1)
"Indeed Your Enemy Is the One Cut Off" — Response to Al-As ibn Wail
إِنَّآ أَعۡطَيۡنَٰكَ ٱلۡكَوۡثَرَ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنۡحَرۡ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلۡأَبۡتَرُ
— الكوثر الآية 1
Verse: "Indeed, your enemy is the one who is cut off." (108:3)
Occasion (Sahih): Al-Bukhari (4970), Al-Tirmidhi (3360), and Al-Tabari narrated: When the Prophet's son died before him, Al-As ibn Wail Al-Sahmi said: "Muhammad has died and his memory is cut off — he is abtar (cut off without progeny)." The surah was revealed in response.
Reliability: Sahih — Al-Bukhari and Al-Tirmidhi
Lesson:
Occasion (Sahih): Al-Bukhari (4970), Al-Tirmidhi (3360), and Al-Tabari narrated: When the Prophet's son died before him, Al-As ibn Wail Al-Sahmi said: "Muhammad has died and his memory is cut off — he is abtar (cut off without progeny)." The surah was revealed in response.
Reliability: Sahih — Al-Bukhari and Al-Tirmidhi
Lesson:
- "Al-Kawthar" is abundant good — Allah gave it to the Prophet above all that his lovers and enemies attached to him
- "Your enemy is the one cut off" — Al-As ibn Wail's memory faded while the Prophet's name endures until the Day of Judgement
- The response to verbal injustice is not always more speech — but the future that days reveal
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari (4970); Sunan Al-Tirmidhi (3360); Al-Tabari (30/323)
Test Yourself
What does "al-abtar" mean and how did it turn against Al-As ibn Wail?
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