Surah Raad ayat 14 Tafsir Quran 13:14

﴿لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهِ ۚ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ﴾
[ الرعد: 14]

13:14 To Him [alone] is the supplication of truth. And those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with a thing, except as one who stretches his hands toward water [from afar, calling it] to reach his mouth, but it will not reach it [thus]. And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [i.e. futility].

His exalted be He is the call of truth that is the words that constitute it the truth and these are ‘there is no god but God’ lā ilāha illā’Llāh; and those upon whom they call read yad‘ūn or tad‘ūn ‘you call’ those whom they worship apart from Him that is other than Him — namely the idols — do not answer them anything of which they ask; save as is the response to one who stretches forth his hands towards water at the edge of a well calling to it that it may reach his mouth by its rising through the well to reach him but it would never reach it that is reach his mouth ever likewise they the idols will not answer them; and the call of the disbelievers their worship of idols — or their actual supplication — goes only astray it is only in perdition.

The spirit of truth that guides into all truth is asserted as Allahs own, whereas those objects they worship and invoke besides Him do not respond to them anymore than the thirsty who stretches out his hand to lift water to his gaping mouth but it never reaches his mouth. Indeed the system of faith and worship practiced by the infidels is simply worthless and leads them to the loss in the of error

A Parable for the Weakness of the False Gods of the Polytheists `Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement, لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ( For Him is the Word of Truth. ) is in reference to Tawhid, according to Ibn Jarir At-Tabari.
Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, and Malik who narrated it from Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, said that, لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ( For Him is the Word of Truth. ) means, "La ilaha illallah." Allah said next, وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ( And those whom they invoke besides Him... ), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah, كَبَـسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ ( like one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth, ) `Ali bin Abi Talib commented, "Like he who stretches his hand on the edge of a deep well to reach the water, even though his hands do not reach it; so how can the water reach his mouth" Mujahid said about, كَبَـسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ ( like one who stretches forth his hand ) "Calling the water with his words and pointing at it, but it will never come to him this way." The meaning of this Ayah is that he who stretches his hand to water from far away, to either collect some or draw some from far away, will not benefit from the water which will not reach his mouth, where water should be consumed.
Likewise, those idolators who call another deity besides Allah, will never benefit from these deities in this life or the Hereafter, hence Allah's statement, وَمَا دُعَآءُ الْكَـفِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ ( and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance. )

(13:14) To invoke Him alone is the right thing. *23 As regards the other deities whom they invoke apart from Him, they cannot give any answer to their prayers. It is as if a man were to stretch his hands towards water and ask it to come to his mouth, when it cannot reach his mouth in this way; likewise the prayers of the disbelievers are nothing but aimless efforts.

To Him [alone] is the supplication of meaning

*23) " To invoke Him alone is the right thing, " for AIlah alone has the power and the authority to give help and remove difficulties.

 

A Parable for the Weakness of the False Gods of the Polytheists `Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement, لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ( For Him is the Word of Truth. ) is in reference to Tawhid, according to Ibn Jarir At-Tabari.
Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, and Malik who narrated it from Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, said that, لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ( For Him is the Word of Truth. ) means, "La ilaha illallah." Allah said next, وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ( And those whom they invoke besides Him... ), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah, كَبَـسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ ( like one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth, ) `Ali bin Abi Talib commented, "Like he who stretches his hand on the edge of a deep well to reach the water, even though his hands do not reach it; so how can the water reach his mouth" Mujahid said about, كَبَـسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ ( like one who stretches forth his hand ) "Calling the water with his words and pointing at it, but it will never come to him this way." The meaning of this Ayah is that he who stretches his hand to water from far away, to either collect some or draw some from far away, will not benefit from the water which will not reach his mouth, where water should be consumed.
Likewise, those idolators who call another deity besides Allah, will never benefit from these deities in this life or the Hereafter, hence Allah's statement, وَمَا دُعَآءُ الْكَـفِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ ( and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance. )

( Unto Him is the real prayer ) the Religion of the Truth: the confession that there is no god save Allah, which is the declaration of one’s sincerity to Allah. ( Those unto whom they pray ) worship ( beside Allah respond to them not at all ) of benefit when they call upon them, ( save as (if the response to ) one who stretcheth forth his hands towards water) from far ( (asking ) that it may come unto his mouth and it will never reach it) in such state, hard as he may try. Allah says: just as water cannot possibly reach the mouth of such a man, the idols will also not benefit those who worship them. ( The prayer of disbelievers ) the worship of the disbelievers ( goeth (far ) astray) it is void and they will not find it.

For Him (Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He). 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).

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