Photo: Sharyn Morrow

By Noha Gomaa

The other day I passed by my University and noticed a blood drive taking place.  I have seen blood drives before, ads and signs asking people to give.  They became so frequent and like any other advertisement, I would just walk by.

But that day I was curious.  I turned around and decided to walk behind the curtains and peak inside.  I saw several people lying down, needles in their arm, their fists clenched, and a bag that would fill up with about a liter of their streaming precious blood.

Some of the donors looked tired yet there was something about them that seemed peaceful and I felt it from where I stood.  I asked one of the volunteers about the duration of the procedure and she said 15 minutes.  This meant that after 15 minutes, they are done giving blood and have possibly saved up to 3 lives.

I stood there and pondered upon the idea of how one could give away some of their blood to save others.  How it is physically possible for us to sacrifice something that is part of us, flowing and circulating into our bloodstream, feeding every single cell and organ in our body, without harming it in any way. It is our source of life and what we need in order to function, to live, and to survive.   Yet, people like me and you are giving part of it away, even multiple times during their lifetime.

I realized how Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) does indeed give us plenty because He is the Most Generous and that we actually do not need all of our blood in order for us to function, to live and to survive.  It’s true that after some has been given away, soon our body replaces what has been taken.

So why do we have more blood than we actually need?

He also gives us many gifts such as money, shelter, food, water, clothing, time, and health.  And the same way some of us are able to donate a portion of our blood without risking our health, we can also give some of our money, our time, our clothes, and our food without affecting our ability to function.

We tend to take things for granted and assume that everyone has what we have.  But in reality, for someone who is involved in a car accident or is suffering from an illness or battling cancer, that one liter of blood can mean their life.

Similarly, that extra clothing in our closet that we hardly wear, the food that is stacked in our fridge that rots by the end of the week, and our time that we spend vegetating in front of the television set – these could be things that someone else is in desperate need of.

The answer to my question became clear in my mind.  Allah (swt) is the Most Generous and is teaching us the importance of giving.  “And spend [in the way of Allah ] from what We have provided you,”(Qur’an 63:10)

He has blessed each one of us in many ways with something that we can offer.  It may even just be a helping hand for an elderly woman crossing the street carrying heavy groceries.

I am reminded that everything that we have is not actually from our “hard work” or “good luck”.  Everything is from Allah (swt):  “To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth and all between them, and all beneath the soil,” (Qur’an 20:6). When we live by this mindset, we come to realize that we are only tools, a means used by Allah (swt) to help others.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “God has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one.  The one who enumerates them enters Paradise,” (Abu Huraira).  Allah (swt) gives us, in our small way, an understanding of Him through His Revealed Names and we can exemplify these qualities and attributes in our daily lives.  By donating blood, money, time, services, or goods, Allah (swt) provides us with the opportunity to experience a hint of His beauty through generosity and kindness.

Since Allah (swt) is the Most Generous, the source of all Generosity, how else can we find our way towards that source, towards Allah (swt) where He is, to Paradise except through actions that exemplify His beauty and Revealed attributes?

Even more beautiful is knowing that all that is with Allah (swt) is never lost. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ tells us, “You will never give up a thing for the sake of Allah (swt), but that Allah will replace it for you with something that is better for you than it,” (Ahmad).  So, When we give blood, Allah (swt) sustains us with a replacement and recent studies show that donating blood is as good for your health as it is good for the receiver.  So then what are we losing when we give?

On my way out from the blood drive, I asked a woman resting and drinking her juice how she felt after giving blood.  She said, “I bled to help someone else, someone I’ll never meet but someone whose life may be saved in part because of me.  And this makes me happy.”

This woman may not be Muslim.  She may not even realize the power of her generosity; but, she showed me something, that somehow, we are irresistibly drawn towards Allah’s attributes, without even knowing it.  When we do them, we feel good.  It is an act that is loved by Allah (swt), an act that takes us closer to our original nature, to our Home, nearer to our Lord, to the Source of it all.  Allahu Akbar. (God is the Greatest.)

By AbdelRahman Mussa

This small series of articles aims to explore the following questions:

• Does Islam promote ease or difficulty?
• Does Islam state that the path to Allah is that of difficulty?

Previously we discussed:

• With Hardship There is Ease
• Wondrous Are The Believers’ Affairs
• Seek Help Through Patience
• He Always Chose The Easiest of Two Matters
• Allah Wants Ease For You
• Allah Wants To Alleviate The Burden
• We Shall Test You With Something of Fear
• Hell is Surrounded By Worldly Desire
• When Is The Help Of Allah Due ?
• Allah Tests What Is In Your Breasts
• So That They Might Return To Allah
• The Misunderstood Hadith

In this article, we will discuss what the goal is and there will be a small word about sacrifice.

Difficulty or Ease or Something Else?

If you are going through difficulty then your goal is not big enough and the biggest goal is Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He).

Surat al-Ikhlas is the surah of sincerity (Qur’an, 112). Allah, as described in Surat al-Ikhlas, is the ‘ahad,’ meaning the ONE.

All of creation is in pairs. If it is not Allah, then it is creation and it has a pair.

To achieve the outcome of a goal, you need to set the goal and fulfill the means to attaining the goal. You’ll notice that the means are always different from the goal. For example, if ‘getting to the door’ is your outcome, then ‘walking to’ the door is different than ‘being at’ the door.

With Allah, it is different; the means to getting to Allah is Allah. By remembering Him (the means), you attain Him. When you attain Him, you are remembering Him. Allah is the goal and the means.

Remember that if the goal is big enough, you won’t feel the paper-cut. Also realize that the easiest goal to attain is Allah, because the means equals the goal.

Finally, the terms ‘difficulty’ and ‘ease’ are used by the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) as being tools. The Prophet ﷺ used to choose ease over difficulty when he had a choice. In other words, he chose to do things easily when that was an option.

The terms are also used as description of circumstance, such as when ease and difficulty befall a believer.

Allah reminds us that any pain felt in His way is insignificant:

“…If you are in pain then surely they too are in pain, but you have a hope from Allah that they do not have…”(Qur’an, 4:104)

It’s important to mention that this verse is in the context of war. It’s important to mention that because ease is the usual status quo. Pain and difficulty only come by rarely.

It’s good that pain and difficulty isn’t the path to Allah, because we wouldn’t have been traveling much.

A Word on Sacrifice

Sacrifice is a form of self-inflicted difficulty. The term ‘sacrifice’ is not even stated once in the Qur’an. ‘Dhabh’ is stated in the Qur’an, which means ‘to slaughter,’ not to sacrifice. Sacrifice is a loss/giving-up of something (i.e. to give with no return).

In Islam, we are asked to INVEST, not sacrifice. And when you hear the term sacrifice in an Islamic talk/presentation, you are to remember that what is meant is “investment.”

Just think about Ibrahim `alayhi assalam (peace be upon him). Allah asked him to slaughter his son. (Note: the English translation of ‘sacrifice’ is inaccurate.)

How does he do it? After the third night, he tells his son about the command. Why does he tell his son? Is it with the hope that Ismail will say ‘no, I do not wish to be slaughtered?’ Is Ibrahim (as) looking for an excuse?

No. Ibrahim (as) could have just ignored the dream and not told his son. Why did Ibrahim (as) tell him then? Why didn’t he just cut his throat in the middle of the night, whilst his son was unaware?

It is because Ibrahim (as) wants his son to partake in the investment. He loves his son so he wants him to gain reward through this act of worship.

Ibrahim (as) moves the knife on his son’s neck. But the knife won’t cut. So Allah preserves Ismail. Moreover, Allah sends a ransom even though the parent should be the one paying the ransom in the effort to reacquire his son.

Did Ibrahim lose anything?

No, He didn’t lose his son. He doesn’t even have to pay a ransom!

He actually GAINS so much from this. Allah sends him a ransom. Allah keeps for him his son. Allah asks that they BOTH build His house (the Ka`ba) together for Him. Allah makes us remember their act of submission till the Day of Judgment.

Was there any loss in this whatsoever?

The next article will discuss:

• A Practical Example of Pro Difficulty Thinking
• Practical Examples of Pro Ease Thinking

By Saadia Khan

One of the things I like to do in my spare time is read psychology books. When I was about to complete my undergraduate degree—a double major in history and political science–I was informed by the registrar’s office that I was only two half-courses short of completing a minor in psychology. Apparently, almost all of my electives had been in psychology. I was intrigued by the idea of sticking around just one semester longer to complete the requirement, but ultimately, the excitement of starting my Masters’ and the prospects of international travel got in the way. Alhamdulillah (all praise due to God), I have no regrets.

Fast forward 7 years and I am still enthralled by the study of human nature and behaviour. Every time I visit the library or a bookstore or every time I find myself aimlessly surfing the internet, I pretty much always end up reading more about this fascinating subject. And lately, I’ve noticed an interesting trend. Psychologists are getting more and more captivated by the idea of self-control. Some literature has always been there, of course, but it seems the concept of willpower is finally getting the broad research and mainstream attention it deserves.

Now you may be wondering, why is this interesting? Of course, willpower is important. But for a long time, psychology was more concerned with ideas such as intelligence, self-esteem, and especially, happiness. Each of these is important, of course, but I could not help but feel something was missing.  For the most part, it was the obsession with happiness that I always found troubling. To be blunt, I have always found people who make their happiness their #1 priority to be quite selfish and short-sighted. The pursuit of self-fulfilment at-all-costs seems contradictory to the Islamic worldview, a frame of reference that has no problem with happiness in and of itself but which emphasizes patience and sacrifice as more noble goals.

Self-control, on the other hand, is perfectly Islamic. Our whole religion is based around it. One of the reasons we pray five times a day is to gain discipline. We fast in the month of Ramadan in order to “learn self-restraint.” (Qur’an 2:183). We partake in Hajj, partly, to practice fortitude.  We “lower our gaze” (24:31) to resist temptation. Even the pursuit of wealth is not by any means necessary: we are stringent about examining the how and why of whatever we earn and spend (17:26). We have to regulate what we consume. We have to regulate our speech. We have to constantly exert control over our thoughts and feelings. We have to control our anger, our jealousy; any feelings of pride or arrogance. We constantly have to check our actions against our intentions.

We even have to exercise restraint in the permissible display of our emotions. When at war, Muslims are commanded to fight honourably and ethically. When we fall in love with our spouses, the expectation from our religion is to be temperate and keep the display of our affections limited to the domestic sphere.  When someone close to us dies, we are allowed to cry and show sadness, but we cannot wail and excessively lament. Even the duration of our mourning is limited to three days at which point we are expected to collect ourselves and move on.

The ethos of modern societies is to pursue with passion whatever you desire. But Islam emphasizes restraint, discipline and sabr (patience).

The Qur’an even goes as far as to say: “Who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts?” (28:50). The implication is that the opposite of that, a person who is in control of his desires, represents the pinnacle of right guidance.

In the past few decades, self-restraint has resumed its once-forgotten place at the centre of psychology. The turning point was triggered in a now-famous study by Walter Mischel of Stanford University, where children aged four and five were asked whether they wanted to eat one marshmallow now or two marshmallows later. The idea was to test the ability of these children to delay gratification. Many children gave in right away and consumed the marshmallow in front of them. But some were able to wait as long as fifteen minutes, successfully repressing their current desire for the promise of a double reward later. Mischel and his team then followed the children into adulthood and found that those who were able to control themselves as children subsequently performed better in school, sports and other extra-curricular activities, attained higher educational and salary levels, engaged in far less drug and alcohol abuse, and reported stronger, more satisfying relationships. In short, those children who were able to practice self-control were more successful in every aspect of their lives decades later.

Moreover, in a review of thousands of studies, founder and president of The Families and Work Institute Dr. Ellen Galinsky concluded that there are seven essential life skills that every child needs in order to reach his or her fullest potential. What is the top entry on her list? You guessed it: self-control. And this is based on decades of frontline observations and volumes upon volumes of research.

More recently, one of the world’s most prolific psychologists, Dr. Roy Baumeister of Florida State University published a book entitled Willpower that basically summarized decades of his and his colleagues’ research in the field.  What he essentially found is that success, no matter how you define it, often boils down to two things: intelligence and self-control. While you cannot increase your God-given intelligence, you can definitely improve your self-control.  How important is willpower? According to Baumeister “self-regulation failure is the major social pathology of our time.” I’ll let you read that again in order for it to sink in. Baumeister goes on to discuss various proven ways to improve self-control including: eating and sleeping right, keeping a diary, establishing routines, getting organized, implementing personalized distraction techniques and practicing guided meditation. He also demonstrates how the effects of successfully disciplining yourself in one area of life spill over into other areas of your life, creating a domino effect of positive transformation. As a Muslim, that sounds very familiar.

I could go on but you get the point. Science is only now uncovering the reality that our religion has taught all along. The secret to success is discipline and self-control.  We have always known that the ability to make choices is what separates us from animals. Now we also now that the ability to self-regulate is what separates average people from the truly remarkable. This is the kind of discipline that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) is trying to build in us through the various acts of worship and rituals He commands.  Who else Knows better the intricacies of human nature? Allah (swt) wants us to be successful and indicates the way. It is up us to now to act upon this knowledge.

“Oh you who believe, endure and outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, so that you may succeed.” (3:200)

Done with the right intentions, not only will self-control warrant success in this life, it will also guarantee success in the life to come. May Allah (swt) make us of those who practice discipline and remain firm on the His path. Ameen.

Abu Hurairah (ra) saw the unique opportunity available to him to learn from the Prophet of Allah – an opportunity of a lifetime. So he took that opportunity, sacrificing everything to attain it. He knew the value of his limited time with the Prophet ﷺ, for he would be able to learn that which would benefit the rest of the Ummah for generations to come. He took up every chance to gain abundant ‘ajr (reward) from Allah for hasanat (good deeds) that continue adding up in his scale of deeds:

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “When a person dies, the opportunity of gaining more reward ends except for these three: a Sadaqa Jariyah (continuous charity), knowledge from which there is a benefit or a pious child who prays to Allah for him.”(Muslim)

At first glance, it might be surprising to see that the Prophet ﷺ allowed the Ahl As-Suffah to lead such ascetic, almost monastic, lives, as it seems to contradict the Islamic teachings that emphasize the value of working honorably to earn a living and supporting a family. Yet at closer inspection, especially with the example of Abu Hurairah (ra), we find that he chose to sacrifice the luxuries of daily life and having a job to be with the Prophet ﷺ as much as possible. Because he was an able-bodied adult who could earn a living and because he made a choice to spend his time learning, Abu Hurairah (ra) knew that it was not his right to beg for food or money or to complain of hunger or need, and he never did.

On the authority of Abu Rafi’, it is narrated that Abu Hurairah said, “No one gave me a gift except that I accepted it. But as for asking, I would not ask.”²

After the Prophet ﷺ passed away, Abu Hurairah went back to work to earn a living for himself and started a family. He became very wealthy in the business of selling horses and colts. His business success indicates that Abu Hurairah did have the ability to earn a good living and run a business, and that during the life of the Prophet ﷺ he found it more worthy to learn from him “full time” than to do it “part-time” like other Sahabah. He sacrificed his personal comforts to learn as much as possible from what Allah subhanahu wa ta`la (glorified and exalted is He) taught His messenger.

Even today, we too encounter unique opportunities to learn from what Allah (swt) taught His Messenger ﷺ. We too have rare opportunities to leave behind a legacy of beneficial knowledge, building institutions, and leading in social reform. But will we take up these chances to gain abundant ‘ajr? Will we fully dedicate ourselves to these goals while the opportunity for competing in the ajr is still available, or will we only be dedicated “part-time”?

It is no surprise that the needs of the Ummah are many, yet the opportunity to fulfill one or more of these needs is available to us for a limited time. So who will be the next Abu Hurairah in the field of Islamic Studies research in the West? Or in economics, developing models based on Islamic principles? Or in social welfare and healthcare systems? Or in development and management?

In the life of Imam Abu Huraira, we have an exemplary attitude and dedication towards spreading knowledge and living for a higher cause. Isn’t it time we adopted that attitude and dedication for ourselves and our future?

May Allah (swt) empower us to do what is best for ourselves and for the community in this life and in the hereafter. May Allah make us follow in the footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ and sahabah. Ameen.

It’s Name

Some scholars gave it the name “the Chapter of Sacrifice.” Kawthar is the name given to the surah in the old and new copies of Qur’an. In his collection, Imam al-Tirmidhi named it as such. Imam al-Bukhari named it the chapter, “Indeed we have granted you the Kawthar” in his collection of authentic hadith.

Period of Revelation

Scholars differed over the period which this chapter was revealed. Most theorized that it was revealed in Mecca. Hassan al-Basri, Qatada and Mujahid contended that this chapter was sent during the Medina period. Their theory is supported by the following narration found in Sahih Muslim:

Anas said, “Once the Prophet ﷺ was sitting with us and suddenly he dosed off. A short time later he raised his head and said, “A chapter was revealed to me earlier.” Then he read, “Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar. So, pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Indeed, the one who insults you, he is cut off.” The Prophet ﷺ asked, “Do you know what is the kawthar?” We responded, “Allah and His Messenger know better.” He responded, “It is a river that God, the Mighty and Exalted, promised me. There is an abundance of good in it. It is a fount that my community will gather by on the Day of Standing [the Day of Judgement].”

Anas bin Malik radiAllahu `anhu (may Allah be pleased with him) was not from those who accepted Islam in Mecca. In fact, it is well known that he became Muslim in Medina. Thus, it was impossible for him to have witnessed any revelation that took place in Mecca. Based on this, it is safe to say that this chapter of Qur’an was revealed in Medina, and that the verse “Your enemy” was not revealed about al-As bin Wail as will be discussed shortly, insh’Allah.

If we say that it was revealed in Mecca, then it is considered the 15th chapter, revealed between al-‘Adadiyat and al-Takathur. If we take the opinion that it was revealed in Medina, which is the opinion we will follow in this discussion, then it was revealed at Hudaybiya.

Number of Verses

Scholars agreed that this chapter is made up of three verses making it, along with Surat`Asr and Surat an-Nasr, the shortest chapters in the Qur’an. What distinguishes this chapter from the others is the least number of words that compose it.

Historical Occurrences Related to this Chapter

When ‘Umar (ra) was stabbed, ‘Abd al-Rahman bi ‘Auf read this chapter and Surat an-Nasr.

Objectives of this Chapter

1. This chapter brings glad tidings to the Prophet ﷺ reminding him that he is the recipient of abundant good in this life and the next.
2. It orders the Prophet ﷺ to be thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (Exalted is He) for these favors by worshiping Him.
3. It reminds him and his companions that those who insult him, attack his message and reject him, are cut from all good.
4. Worldly possessions and popularity do not determine that someone is good. True goodness is found in a healthy soul that is thankful to God.

A poet said, “And it is with your soul, not your body, that you are human.”

The First Verse

“Indeed, we have given you the kawthar” (Qur’an, 108:1)

The chapter begins with an article of emphasis, “indeed.” This is used to establish the truth of the information mentioned. It also uses the verb “We gave” utilizing the royal we as its subject. This accomplishes the following:

1. A verb signifies emphasis and certainty of an act.
2. The “royal we” signifies honor for the object. Here there are two, “you,” meaning the Prophet ﷺ, and “the Kawthar.” Thus, the recipient and what was received are honored as they are both linked to the subject “We” which is reference to Allah (swt). This is very similar to the opening of the 97th chapter of the Qur’an: “Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree.” (Qur’an 97:1)
3. The combined usage of the above signifies good news to the object and a threat or reminder to those who oppose him.

Thankfulness and Worship

The word for thankfulness in Arabic is shukur. It was used by the Arabs of antiquity when they talked about a well-fed animal who became plump – showing the signs of a generous master. Hence, they would say “Daba Shakur,” a thankful animal.

“The Kawthar”

This word is a noun on the form فوعل which signifies abundant good as noted by al-Zamakhshari. Its origin is كثر which means abundance. However, here the letter و has been added and we have كوثر. There is an important principle in Arabic morphology that applies here: “An addition to the form equates to an increase in the meanings intensity.”

This word was used by the Arabs to describe a person of abundant good. Once a poet praised  ‘Abul Malik bin Marwan saying:

وَأَنْتَ كَثِيرٌ يَا ابْنَ مَرْوَانَ طَيِّبٌ … وَكَانَ أَبوك ابْن العقائل كَوْثَرَا

“And you, o son of Marwan, are abundant in goodness…And your father, the father of bin al-‘Uqali,’ was kawthara (source of abundant good).”

The early scholars gave different interpretations for this word. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Abundant good.” ‘Ikrama said, “Prophet-hood and the Qur’an.” Al-Hassan said, “The Qur’an.” Al-Mughira said, “Islam.” Abu Bakr ‘Ayyash said, “An abundant community.” Others said, “Light in the hearts,” and others, “the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ.” None of these contradict the statement of the Prophet ﷺ as his statement does not limit the different meanings. The purpose of this chapter was to strengthen the Prophet’s ﷺ resolve and boost his community by reminding them that he is the recipient of abundant good. Therefore, as we discussed in other lessons, the companion’s different explanations of a universal principle, such as good here, is acceptable.

The Second Verse

“Then, pray to your Lord and sacrifice” (Qur’an 108:2)

The word “then” is represented by the letter فاء in Arabic. There are a number of different meanings associated with this letter. Here the meaning is known as tafri’i. Meaning, that what is mentioned before “then” is a cause for what is mentioned after it: “because of the blessings given to you, o Prophet ﷺ, worship your Lord.”

When used in the context of worship, it implies that a person shows the effects of God’s mercy in their life by worshipping Him. Ibn al-Qayyim (ra) wrote, “Thankfulness is the appearance of God’s blessing’s on a servant’s tongue, by praising Him and acknowledging His favors, on his heart, by bearing witness [to His favors] and loving Him and on his limbs by submission and obedience to Him.”¹

Imam al-Farazubadi (ra) noted that true thanks is based on five pillars:

1. Humility from the subject of thanks to the object;
2. Loving the object of thanks;
3. Acknowledging his favors;
4. Praising him for them;
5. Not using them in a way that would disobey the object.

Ibn Qayyim (ra) said, “These five are the foundations of thankfulness – it is built upon them. If one of them is missing, then one’s thankfulness will be deficient.”

“Your Lord”

The noun “Lord” is mentioned here instead of “Pray to Us,” because the word “Lord” means the provider and sustainer. The theme of this verse is thanks due to benevolence. Thus, according to the scholars, the noun “Lord” is used here fittingly, instead of the “Royal We” because it reminds the Prophet ﷺ, and his community, of God’s benevolence. Hence, “Pray to your Lord” and not, “Pray to Us.” This is a sound proof that thankfulness is rooted in a deep recognition of God’s abundant mercy.

The word “Lord” is also used as possessive with the pronoun, “you,” meaning the Prophet ﷺ. This is a sign of honor showing the closeness of Allah (swt) to the Prophet ﷺ.

Also, “Lord” is used in relationship to the preposition “to.” Thus “Pray to your Lord” implies tawhid of worship; a sharp blow to the polytheists of Mecca.

“And Sacrifice”

Unlike other places in the Qur’an where the Prophet ﷺ is ordered to repel the attacks of the Meccans with prayer and good character,

“Indeed, we know that your chest is tight because of what they say. Then glorify your Lord with praises and be from those who prostrate” (Qur’an, 15:97-98).

In this chapter we find something different. Not only is Prophet ﷺ advised to pray, but to sacrifice? This strengthens the contention that this verse was revealed in Medina at Hudaybiyah. We know that the Meccans refused to let the Prophet ﷺ and his companions (ra) enter Mecca and complete the rights of minor pilgrimage. Thus, to reassure the Prophet ﷺ and his followers that good is with them, the word “And sacrifice” is used as prophecy just like another verse that was sent at that time:

“Indeed, we have granted you a clear victory” (Qur’an 108:1)

Thus, not only was it an order to slaughter at al-Hudbabiyah, but it was a portent of things to come.²

It is also well known that this chapter was sent before Hajj. Thus, a good majority of Muslim scholars say it means to “Pray to your Lord (Eid Prayer) and Sacrifice (after you finish the ‘Eid prayer).”

Other scholars were simply silent regarding the circumstances that surrounded this verse. When Malik was asked about this verse he said, “Nothing has reached me regarding it.”

Since “sacrifice” is a conjunction of “and pray to your Lord (alone)” it is understood “and Sacrifice to your Lord (alone as well).”

Again, this is an attack on the contention of the Meccans that slaughter could be done to other than God.

The Last Verse

“Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off” (Qur’an, 108:3)

The word enemy is from the word “Shan’i” which literally means one who hates. It is found elsewhere in the Qur’an (5:2). It is used as a possessive here to show that anyone who hates the Prophet ﷺ will be cut off from all blessings and good in this life and the next.

Al-Wahidi  (ra) relates that Ibn Abbas (ra) said that al-As bin Wail is one being mentioned here. One day the Prophet ﷺ was in the mosque in Mecca and people asked about him ﷺ and Wa’il said, “The one who is cut off.”³

Abatar in Arabic was used by the Arab’s to mean the one who had no Male offspring. Al-As said this after the Prophet ﷺ lost two of his sons, Qasim and ‘Abdullah.

Based on this, the meaning “cut off” should not be taken literally since Wa’il, although he died as a rejecter of faith, his family was blessed. His son was the great companion ‘Amr bin al-As and his grandson, ‘Amr’s son, was ‘Abdullah. Thus, cut off here means cut off from all good and blessings.

It was used this way by the Prophet ﷺ in the following famous hadith,

“Every action that does not begin with God’s remembrance is cut off (abtar).” Meaning, as my teacher told me, “Cut off from blessings.”

It is important to note that the narration of al-Wahidi is suspect based on what was related by Muslim in his Sahih. There is an important rule in the interpretation of texts: “If there are two contradictory texts and one is weak and the other is strong, consideration is given to the stronger one.” It is also possible that both texts could be reconciled by considering that this chapter was revealed twice. Allah (swt) knows best.

On the Style of the Verse

The form of this verse is that of restriction. For that reason it begins with “Indeed.” What is missing from this translation, and found in the Arabic, is “He” – called Damir al-Fasul in Arabic. Thus, perhaps a better translation would be, “Indeed, your hater, (he) is cut off.” The presence of that pronoun “he” also adds to the meaning, “Indeed, your hater, (he) is cut off (not you).”