Al-Hasan said: “It is the mighty Quran.”
Ikrimah said: “Prophethood and the Book.” (1)
The linguists said: al-Kawthar is an intensive form derived from abundance, just as Nawfal is an intensive form derived from nafl (bounty). (2) The Arabs call everything abundant in number or great in worth and significance kawthar. (3) The well-known view is that it is a river in Paradise which Allah gave to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, as related in the hadith:
Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn al-Fadl al-Khiraqi informed us; Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abd Allah al-Taysafuni informed us; Abd Allah ibn Umar al-Jawhari informed us; Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kushmihani narrated to us; Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us; Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far narrated to us; Humayd narrated to us from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “I entered Paradise and found myself by a river, flowing white as milk and sweeter than honey, with tents of pearl along its banks. I struck its soil with my hand, and it was pungently fragrant musk. I said to Gabriel, ‘What is this?’ He replied, ‘This is al-Kawthar, which Allah, exalted is He, has given you.’” (6)
Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Dawudi informed us; Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Musa al-Salt informed us; Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Samad al-Hashimi narrated to us; Abu Sa‘id al-Ashajj informed us; Muhammad ibn Fudayl narrated to us from Ata ibn al-Sa’ib, from Muharib ibn Dithar, from Ibn Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Al-Kawthar is a river in Paradise. Its banks are of gold, its course runs over pearls and rubies, and its soil is more fragrant than musk and whiter than snow.” (7)