سُوْرَةُ الرَّعْدِ
Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 14
لَهُۥ دَعْوَةُ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَىْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَـٰسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَـٰلِغِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا دُعَآءُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
For Him (Allah, Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
لَهُۥ
lahu
To Him
دَعْوَةُ
daʿwatu
(is) supplication
ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ
l-ḥaqi
(of) the truth
وَٱلَّذِينَ
wa-alladhīna
And those whom
يَدْعُونَ
yadʿūna
they invoke
مِن
min
besides Him
دُونِهِۦ
dūnihi
besides Him
لَا
lā
not
يَسْتَجِيبُونَ
yastajībūna
they respond
لَهُم
lahum
to them
بِشَىْءٍ
bishayin
with a thing
إِلَّا
illā
except
كَبَـٰسِطِ
kabāsiṭi
like one who stretches
كَفَّيْهِ
kaffayhi
his hands
إِلَى
ilā
towards
ٱلْمَآءِ
l-māi
water
لِيَبْلُغَ
liyablugha
to reach
فَاهُ
fāhu
his mouth
وَمَا
wamā
but not
هُوَ
huwa
it
بِبَـٰلِغِهِۦ ۚ
bibālighihi
reaches it
وَمَا
wamā
And not
دُعَآءُ
duʿāu
(is) the supplication
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ
l-kāfirīna
(of) the disbelievers
إِلَّا
illā
but
فِى
fī
in
ضَلَـٰلٍۢ
ḍalālin
error
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah14) ➊ {لَهٗ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ :} Here, the described is annexed to its attribute, meaning that the true and rightful calling is only to call upon Him; calling anyone else is false. Because He alone hears the call of everyone, whether near or far, He alone is aware of everyone’s conditions, and He alone has the power to fulfill everyone’s needs; none else possesses any of these attributes.
➋ The pronoun in {وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖ …: ’’ يَدْعُوْنَ ‘‘} refers to the polytheists, meaning that the example of one who calls upon anyone besides Allah is like the person who stretches out both hands towards water so that it may reach his mouth, but the water neither hears his words, nor understands, nor has the power to reach his mouth by itself. Allah Almighty has, in several places, elaborated in detail the helplessness and powerlessness of these self-made gods. See Surah Al-A’raf (191–198), Saba (22), Fatir (13, 14), Ahqaf (5), and Hajj (73). Readers are requested to look up and read the translation of these passages; God willing, you will feel the coolness of monotheism in your heart.
➌ { وَ مَا دُعَآءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اِلَّا فِيْ ضَلٰلٍ:} That is, the calling of others besides Allah by the disbelievers is utterly fruitless, from which nothing is gained. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “Those whom the disbelievers call upon, some are mere imagination, some are jinn, and some are such things that have certain properties, but they are not masters of those properties, so what is gained by calling upon them? Like fire or water, and perhaps stars are also of this kind; this is the example given.” (Muwadhih) Understand its brief explanation: Angels are always with us, they hear, they have power, but they can do nothing without Allah’s permission, nor do they do anything. So calling upon them is just like signaling or telling water with your tongue to come into your mouth, even though it does not have that power, and even if it did, it does not have that choice.
➋ The pronoun in {وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖ …: ’’ يَدْعُوْنَ ‘‘} refers to the polytheists, meaning that the example of one who calls upon anyone besides Allah is like the person who stretches out both hands towards water so that it may reach his mouth, but the water neither hears his words, nor understands, nor has the power to reach his mouth by itself. Allah Almighty has, in several places, elaborated in detail the helplessness and powerlessness of these self-made gods. See Surah Al-A’raf (191–198), Saba (22), Fatir (13, 14), Ahqaf (5), and Hajj (73). Readers are requested to look up and read the translation of these passages; God willing, you will feel the coolness of monotheism in your heart.
➌ { وَ مَا دُعَآءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اِلَّا فِيْ ضَلٰلٍ:} That is, the calling of others besides Allah by the disbelievers is utterly fruitless, from which nothing is gained. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “Those whom the disbelievers call upon, some are mere imagination, some are jinn, and some are such things that have certain properties, but they are not masters of those properties, so what is gained by calling upon them? Like fire or water, and perhaps stars are also of this kind; this is the example given.” (Muwadhih) Understand its brief explanation: Angels are always with us, they hear, they have power, but they can do nothing without Allah’s permission, nor do they do anything. So calling upon them is just like signaling or telling water with your tongue to come into your mouth, even though it does not have that power, and even if it did, it does not have that choice.
