When the Prophet lost his last son, an opponent who hated him taunted him with being ‘cut off’ without posterity. This Meccan sura comes to reassure the Prophet and as a retort to his enemy.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1 We have truly given abundance [a] to you [Prophet]–– 2 so pray to your Lord and make your sacrifice to Him alone–– 3 it is the one who hates you who has been cut off.
Footnotes
a. The word kawthar, ‘abundance’, is also interpreted here as referring to a specific river in Paradise.
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an / a new translation by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, copyright © 2004 Oxford World's Classics (Oxford University Press). Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Comprehensive Analysis
God throws back the taunt on those who hated and reviled the Prophet. Indeed, God’s promise has come true, for the influence and legacy of Muhammad’s enemies were short-lived, while Muhammad's impact on human life and history has grown and deepened. Today we are witnessing the truth of this divine pronouncement.