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 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.
If you call upon them, they do not hear your call; and even if they were to hear, they could not respond to you [20]. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your association [21]. And none can inform you like the All-Aware [22].
[20]
How is the Plea of the Polytheists Rendered Futile?
The word ﴿إسْتَجَابُوْا﴾ is used in two senses. One is in giving an answer or response to a call or question; for example, if a person asks me where the city of Karachi is located, I answer him that it is situated in the southwest of Pakistan. The second usage is when someone, for instance, asks me for one hundred rupees; the response to this is related to action, whether I give him the hundred rupees or not, and give a reply. The condition of these idols is such that they do not hear anything at all, and even if, hypothetically, they could hear, then neither can they give any answer nor can they act upon it. Thus, presenting a request before them is entirely pointless. For example, a person writes an application requesting a gas connection for his house, but instead of sending this application to the head office of the gas company, he sends it to the head office of the police department. It is obvious that nothing will be done on this application, no matter how much time passes, because giving a gas connection is not within the jurisdiction of the police department, even though those people certainly hear and understand. This is exactly the case with these polytheists; they present their requests to those who have no authority over anything. Therefore, even until the Day of Resurrection, the requests of the polytheists will never be acted upon. Allah the Exalted has expressed this reality at another place as follows: ﴿وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ الآَ فِيْ ضَلاَلٍٍ﴾
[21] From this sentence, it is understood that all kinds of deities will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection, whether they were prophets, angels, saints, or elders, whether they were political leaders or lifeless idols and such deities. And at this place, especially, the mention is of lifeless deities or idols. That is, even the idols will be given life and brought to the plain of resurrection. And there will be a dialogue between these deities and their worshippers, that is, the polytheists. So these lifeless idols will also stand firm and testify against the polytheists, and it is also possible that instead of these idols, those specific spirits may be present whom the polytheists had associated with these idols. Those deities will give the polytheists this very answer: "O wretched ones! When did we ever tell you to worship us? And even if you did worship us, we had no knowledge of it."
[22]
On the Day of Resurrection, the Deities Will Become Enemies of Their Worshippers:
By "Khabeer" is meant the Being of Allah the Exalted, Who is fully aware of the present and absent, past and future circumstances. And before Him, nothing is hidden; rather, everything is manifest. Now, if any other person gives news about the future, it is obvious that it cannot be certain, because its basis will be conjecture and estimation. In contrast, the news given by Allah is certain, because He is aware of future events and is also seeing them. And the news given by Allah is that on the Day of Resurrection, every kind of deity will testify against their worshipping polytheists, will deny their worship, and will become their enemies.
[20]
How is the Plea of the Polytheists Rendered Futile?
The word ﴿إسْتَجَابُوْا﴾ is used in two senses. One is in giving an answer or response to a call or question; for example, if a person asks me where the city of Karachi is located, I answer him that it is situated in the southwest of Pakistan. The second usage is when someone, for instance, asks me for one hundred rupees; the response to this is related to action, whether I give him the hundred rupees or not, and give a reply. The condition of these idols is such that they do not hear anything at all, and even if, hypothetically, they could hear, then neither can they give any answer nor can they act upon it. Thus, presenting a request before them is entirely pointless. For example, a person writes an application requesting a gas connection for his house, but instead of sending this application to the head office of the gas company, he sends it to the head office of the police department. It is obvious that nothing will be done on this application, no matter how much time passes, because giving a gas connection is not within the jurisdiction of the police department, even though those people certainly hear and understand. This is exactly the case with these polytheists; they present their requests to those who have no authority over anything. Therefore, even until the Day of Resurrection, the requests of the polytheists will never be acted upon. Allah the Exalted has expressed this reality at another place as follows: ﴿وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ الآَ فِيْ ضَلاَلٍٍ﴾
[21] From this sentence, it is understood that all kinds of deities will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection, whether they were prophets, angels, saints, or elders, whether they were political leaders or lifeless idols and such deities. And at this place, especially, the mention is of lifeless deities or idols. That is, even the idols will be given life and brought to the plain of resurrection. And there will be a dialogue between these deities and their worshippers, that is, the polytheists. So these lifeless idols will also stand firm and testify against the polytheists, and it is also possible that instead of these idols, those specific spirits may be present whom the polytheists had associated with these idols. Those deities will give the polytheists this very answer: "O wretched ones! When did we ever tell you to worship us? And even if you did worship us, we had no knowledge of it."
[22]
On the Day of Resurrection, the Deities Will Become Enemies of Their Worshippers:
By "Khabeer" is meant the Being of Allah the Exalted, Who is fully aware of the present and absent, past and future circumstances. And before Him, nothing is hidden; rather, everything is manifest. Now, if any other person gives news about the future, it is obvious that it cannot be certain, because its basis will be conjecture and estimation. In contrast, the news given by Allah is certain, because He is aware of future events and is also seeing them. And the news given by Allah is that on the Day of Resurrection, every kind of deity will testify against their worshipping polytheists, will deny their worship, and will become their enemies.
