Excerpts From Commentary on the Súrih of Kawthar
Introduction
The Commentary on the Súrih of Kawthar was revealed by the Báb during His stay in Shiraz, in
honor of Siyyid Yahyáy-i-Dárábí, surnamed Vahíd. The Qur’ánic Súrih of Kawthar is a short
Súrih: ‘We verily have conferred upon Thee the Kawthar fount of abundance. Therefore pray
unto Thy Lord, and sacrifice. Verily it is Thine enemy who will be without posterity.’ It was
revealed as a response to the enemies of Muhammad who said that as Muhammad had no living
son he would have no posterity. The Báb interprets this verse in several ways, observing that
infinite interpretations are possible for the verse at different interpretive levels. Referring to the
seven stations of divine creative Action, He first interprets the entire Súrih as the reflection of
these seven stages of creation. The station of the Primal Will is represented by the entirety of the
Súrih when all the words and the letters are one and the same. The second stage, the stage of
Wish, corresponds to the first word of the Súrih, ‘We verily’. The Báb asks the reader to interpret
the rest of the Súrih as representative of the other stages of creative Action. Then, beneath the
level of creative Divine Action, the Báb interprets each single letter of the entire Súrih. In
addition, He interprets the combinations of words and phrases in the Súrih in terms of both
outward and inward meanings. Thus the various parts of the Súrih become references to the
seven stages of divine Logos, to the Manifestations of those stages in the Dispensation of Islam
and to Himself. He, as the descendant of Fátimih and the Burning Bush, represents both the
physical and spiritual expression of Kawthar.
However, in one part of the Commentary, the Báb pays special attention to the concept of
Kawthar and interprets this divine fountain as the source of the creative and invigorating divine
Word in both the realm of cosmic creation and spiritual revelation. This Word is the source of
the four rivers of paradise: incorruptible crystal water, fresh milk, pure honey and red wine.
Discussing various meanings of these symbols, the Báb defines the four stages as the four initial
stages of divine action as well as the four modes of divine revelation. In both cases, He makes it
clear that the ultimate manifestation of Kawthar is His Writings that stream forth from His pen
and His heart. The selection here relates to the discussion of Kawthar.