Surah Ar-Ra'd · سُوْرَةُ الرَّعْدِ · Juz 13

Q 13:14

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

Translations

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].

Sahih International · EN

A Lui l'appel de la Vérité! Ceux qu'ils invoquent en dehors de Lui ne leur répondent d'aucune façon; semblables à celui qui étend ses deux mains vers l'eau pour la porter à sa bouche, mais qui ne parvient jamais à l'atteindre. L'invocation des mécréants n'est que vanité.

Muhammad Hamidullah · FR

Tafsir

The call of monotheism is for Allah alone and no one shares this with Him. The idols on whom the idolaters call besides Him do not respond to the call of those who call them in any matter. Their calling them is simply like a thirsty person stretching his hand towards water for it to reach his mouth so that he can drink from it. The water is not going to reach his mouth. The call of the disbelievers to their idols is only in vain and far from being right, because they have no power to draw any benefit for them nor ward off any harm from them.

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies

Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))

For Him is the Word of Truth. And those whom they invoke besides Him, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance (14) 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, كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ 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, كَبَاسِطِ 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 دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ (and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)

Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net