سُوْرَةُ فَاطِرٍ
Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 14
إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا۟ مَا ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لَكُمْ ۖ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) like Him Who is the All-Knower (of everything).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِن
in
If
تَدْعُوهُمْ
tadʿūhum
you invoke them
لَا
lā
not
يَسْمَعُوا۟
yasmaʿū
they hear
دُعَآءَكُمْ
duʿāakum
your call
وَلَوْ
walaw
and if
سَمِعُوا۟
samiʿū
they heard
مَا
mā
not
ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟
is'tajābū
they (would) respond
لَكُمْ ۖ
lakum
to you
وَيَوْمَ
wayawma
And (on the) Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
يَكْفُرُونَ
yakfurūna
they will deny
بِشِرْكِكُمْ ۚ
bishir'kikum
your association
وَلَا
walā
And none
يُنَبِّئُكَ
yunabbi-uka
can inform you
مِثْلُ
mith'lu
like
خَبِيرٍۢ
khabīrin
(the) All-Aware
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.
(Ayah 14) ➊ { اِنْ تَدْعُوْهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوْا دُعَآءَكُمْ:} As He said elsewhere: «وَ مَنْ اَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَّدْعُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ مَنْ لَّا يَسْتَجِيْبُ لَهٗۤ اِلٰى يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِ وَ هُمْ عَنْ دُعَآىِٕهِمْ غٰفِلُوْنَ » [ الأحقاف : ۵ ] “And who is more astray than he who calls upon, besides Allah, those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they are unaware of their supplication.”
➋ { وَ لَوْ سَمِعُوْا مَا اسْتَجَابُوْا لَكُمْ:} Even if they hear, they cannot benefit you in any way, because they have no authority at all, as He said: « اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ عِبَادٌ اَمْثَالُكُمْ فَادْعُوْهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيْبُوْا لَكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ» [الأعراف : ۱۹۴ ] “Indeed, those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you, so call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful.” And He said: « لَهٗ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖ لَا يَسْتَجِيْبُوْنَ۠ لَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ اِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ اِلَى الْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَ مَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهٖ وَ مَا دُعَآءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اِلَّا فِيْ ضَلٰلٍ » [ الرعد : ۱۴ ] “The true call is only for Him, and those whom they call upon besides Him do not respond to them at all, except as one who stretches his hands toward water so that it may reach his mouth, but it will never reach it. And the supplication of the disbelievers is nothing but in vain.”
➌ { وَ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُوْنَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ :} For its detailed exegesis, see Surah Maryam (82) and Surah Qasas (62, 63).
➍ { وَ لَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيْرٍ :} In Arabia, this phrase is proverbial: when an ignorant person is warned by a wise and experienced one about the outcome, the wise one cautions him to keep this advice in mind and says: {’’لَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيْرٍ‘‘} meaning, the one who is aware, as he has informed you, no one else can inform you like that. Then, obviously, who can be more Knowing and Aware than Allah? (Mawahib) The meaning of {’’ خَبِيْرٍ ‘‘} is “the one who has complete knowledge,” and the one who has complete knowledge is Allah Himself; everyone else’s knowledge is incomplete, and no one can inform like the one who has complete knowledge. And He has informed you that no one hears the call except Allah; even if, hypothetically, they hear, they cannot accept the request, and on the Day of Resurrection, all of them will deny your shirk.
➋ { وَ لَوْ سَمِعُوْا مَا اسْتَجَابُوْا لَكُمْ:} Even if they hear, they cannot benefit you in any way, because they have no authority at all, as He said: « اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللّٰهِ عِبَادٌ اَمْثَالُكُمْ فَادْعُوْهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيْبُوْا لَكُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ» [الأعراف : ۱۹۴ ] “Indeed, those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you, so call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful.” And He said: « لَهٗ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ وَ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهٖ لَا يَسْتَجِيْبُوْنَ۠ لَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ اِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ اِلَى الْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَ مَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهٖ وَ مَا دُعَآءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ اِلَّا فِيْ ضَلٰلٍ » [ الرعد : ۱۴ ] “The true call is only for Him, and those whom they call upon besides Him do not respond to them at all, except as one who stretches his hands toward water so that it may reach his mouth, but it will never reach it. And the supplication of the disbelievers is nothing but in vain.”
➌ { وَ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُوْنَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ :} For its detailed exegesis, see Surah Maryam (82) and Surah Qasas (62, 63).
➍ { وَ لَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيْرٍ :} In Arabia, this phrase is proverbial: when an ignorant person is warned by a wise and experienced one about the outcome, the wise one cautions him to keep this advice in mind and says: {’’لَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيْرٍ‘‘} meaning, the one who is aware, as he has informed you, no one else can inform you like that. Then, obviously, who can be more Knowing and Aware than Allah? (Mawahib) The meaning of {’’ خَبِيْرٍ ‘‘} is “the one who has complete knowledge,” and the one who has complete knowledge is Allah Himself; everyone else’s knowledge is incomplete, and no one can inform like the one who has complete knowledge. And He has informed you that no one hears the call except Allah; even if, hypothetically, they hear, they cannot accept the request, and on the Day of Resurrection, all of them will deny your shirk.
