Ar-Ra'd 13:14
The Thunder · ayah 14 of 43
Lahu daAAwatu alhaqqi wallatheenayadAAoona min doonihi la yastajeeboona lahum bishay-in illakabasiti kaffayhi ila alma-iliyablugha fahu wama huwa bibalighihi wamaduAAao alkafireena illa fee dalal
Saheeh International translation
Other English translations
Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+
"The only true prayer is to Him: those they pray to besides Him give them no answer any more than water reaches the mouth of someone who simply stretches out his hands for it- it cannot do so: the prayers of the disbelievers are all in vain."
Pickthall (classic)+
"Unto Him is the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at all, save as (is the response to) one who stretcheth forth his hands toward water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it. The prayer of disbelievers goeth (far) astray."
Yusuf Ali (classic)+
"For Him (alone) is prayer in Truth: any others that they call upon besides Him hear them no more than if they were to stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but it reaches them not: for the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile) wandering (in the mind)."
Tafsīr · classical commentary
Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
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Ibn Kathir
Abridged English, public domain
A Parable for the Weakness of the False Gods of the Polytheists
`Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement,
(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,
(For Him is the Word of Truth.) means, "La ilaha illallah." Allah said next,
(And those whom they invoke besides Him...), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah,
(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,
(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,
(and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)
Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain
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Tafsir Saʿdi
English translation, public domain