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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
14. Calling upon Him alone is the truth [21], and those whom they call upon besides Him do not respond to them at all. Their calling is like someone who stretches out his hands towards water so that it may reach his mouth, but it never reaches it. The call of the disbelievers is nothing but lost in error.
[21]
The Example of Calling Upon ﴿من دون الله﴾:
Because He hears the call and also has the power to accept the supplicant’s plea. As for the polytheists who call upon other deities, their example is like a thirsty person who, upon seeing water, stretches out his hands and calls to it, “Come, quench my thirst.” Obviously, water can neither hear anyone’s call nor has the power to come to the thirsty person. Therefore, such a call from the thirsty one is a futile and useless act. In the same way, even if the false deities are called a thousand times, they cannot hear anything, and even if, hypothetically, they could hear, they are so powerless and helpless that they do not have the ability to accept the supplication. Now, they themselves should consider whether calling upon them can bring any benefit.
[21]
The Example of Calling Upon ﴿من دون الله﴾:
Because He hears the call and also has the power to accept the supplicant’s plea. As for the polytheists who call upon other deities, their example is like a thirsty person who, upon seeing water, stretches out his hands and calls to it, “Come, quench my thirst.” Obviously, water can neither hear anyone’s call nor has the power to come to the thirsty person. Therefore, such a call from the thirsty one is a futile and useless act. In the same way, even if the false deities are called a thousand times, they cannot hear anything, and even if, hypothetically, they could hear, they are so powerless and helpless that they do not have the ability to accept the supplication. Now, they themselves should consider whether calling upon them can bring any benefit.
