Surah 108
Surah Al-Kawthar (The Abundance)
الكوثر
Also written: Kawthar, Kausar, Kauthar
Surah Al-Kawthar (الكوثر) is surah 108 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 3 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “The Abundance”.
- Number
- 108
- Ayahs
- 3
- Revelation
- Meccan
- Meaning
- The Abundance
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah Al-Kawthar
Al-Kawthar, “The Abundance”, is the shortest surah of the Quran, with three verses. It tells the Prophet that he has been granted al-kawthar, abundant good, instructs him to pray and offer sacrifice for his Lord, and declares that it is his enemy, not he, who is cut off.
The three verses
- The gift (108:1): We have given you al-kawthar.
- The response (108:2): so pray to your Lord and sacrifice — worship and offerings for Him alone.
- The reversal (108:3): the one who hates you is the one cut off (al-abtar).
What is al-Kawthar?
Sahih Muslim reports from Anas that the Prophet dozed briefly, then looked up smiling and said a surah had just been revealed to him. He recited it and explained that al-Kawthar is a river his Lord promised him in Paradise, full of good, and a pool to which his community will come on the Day of Resurrection. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Ibn Abbas describes al-kawthar as the abundant good God gave the Prophet, and his student explained that the river is part of that good.
The occasion
Classical reports say some of the Prophet’s opponents mocked him as “cut off” after his sons died in infancy, meaning he would have no one to carry on his name. The surah turns this around: his name and message endure. Commentators name different individuals as the one who said this.
The dataset used here lists Al-Kawthar as Meccan, as many do; others classify it as Medinan, partly because of the hadith of Anas.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the shortest surah in the Quran?
- Al-Kawthar, with three verses.
- What is al-Kawthar?
- Abundant good given to the Prophet; Sahih Muslim describes it as a river in Paradise and a pool his community will come to.
- Is Surah Al-Kawthar Meccan or Medinan?
- Scholars differ. Many, and the dataset used here, say Meccan; others say Medinan.
- How many ayahs are in Surah Al-Kawthar?
- Surah Al-Kawthar has 3 ayahs. It is surah number 108 in the Quran and is Meccan.
- Can I read Surah Al-Kawthar in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah Al-Kawthar the same as Surah Kawthar?
- Yes. Kawthar, Kausar, Kauthar and Al-Kawthar are different English spellings of the same surah name, الكوثر.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah Al-Kawthar
With 3 ayahs, Surah Al-Kawthar is short enough for a single vertical video. Select all ayahs on the new-project page, load a recitation, and use “Highlight current ayah” to keep the whole surah on screen while each ayah is emphasised as it is recited.
In the editor, the Online Recitations tab lists the reciters Quran Foundation provides for this surah. See how to create a Quran video for the full steps.
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Surah Al-Kawthar in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
إِنَّآ أَعۡطَيۡنَٰكَ ٱلۡكَوۡثَرَ ١
108:1Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar
فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَٱنۡحَرۡ ٢
108:2So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ ٱلۡأَبۡتَرُ ٣
108:3Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off