لَهُۥ دَعْوَةُ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَىْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَٰسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى ٱلْمَآءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَٰلِغِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا دُعَآءُ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ
14
سُورَةُ الرَّعۡدِ
English — Sahih International
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].
اردو — مودودی
اسی کو پکارنا برحق ہے رہیں وہ دوسری ہستیاں جنہیں اس کو چھوڑ کر یہ لوگ پکارتے ہیں، وہ اُن کی دعاؤں کا کوئی جواب نہیں دے سکتیں اُنہیں پکارنا تو ایسا ہے جیسے کوئی شخص پانی کی طرف ہاتھ پھیلا کر اُس سے درخواست کرے کہ تو میرے منہ تک پہنچ جا، حالانکہ پانی اُس تک پہنچنے والا نہیں بس اِسی طرح کافروں کی دعائیں بھی کچھ نہیں ہیں مگر ایک تیر بے ہدف!
Bahasa Indonesia — Kemenag
Hanya bagi Allah-lah (hak mengabulkan) doa yang benar. Dan berhala-berhala yang mereka sembah selain Allah tidak dapat memperkenankan sesuatupun bagi mereka, melainkan seperti orang yang membukakan kedua telapak tangannya ke dalam air supaya sampai air ke mulutnya, padahal air itu tidak dapat sampai ke mulutnya. Dan doa (ibadat) orang-orang kafir itu, hanyalah sia-sia belaka.
Ibn Kathir
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.)
المُيَسَّر
لله سبحانه وتعالى وحده دعوة التوحيد (لا إله إلا الله)، فلا يُعبد ولا يُدعى إلا هو، والآلهة التي يعبدونها من دون الله لا تجيب دعاء مَن دعاها، وحالهم معها كحال عطشان يمد يده إلى الماء من بعيد؛ ليصل إلى فمه فلا يصل إليه، وما سؤال الكافرين لها إلا غاية في البعد عن الصواب لإشراكهم بالله غيره.