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Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder)

Verse 14of 43

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﴿١٤

Translation (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].

Word-by-word meaning

لَهُۥlahuTo Him
دَعْوَةُdaʿwatu(is) supplication
ٱلْحَقِّ ۖl-ḥaqi(of) the truth
وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaAnd those whom
يَدْعُونَyadʿūnathey invoke
مِنminbesides Him
دُونِهِۦdūnihibesides Him
لَاnot
يَسْتَجِيبُونَyastajībūnathey respond
لَهُمlahumto them
بِشَىْءٍbishayinwith a thing
إِلَّاillāexcept
كَبَـٰسِطِkabāsiṭilike one who stretches
كَفَّيْهِkaffayhihis hands
إِلَىilātowards
ٱلْمَآءِl-māiwater
لِيَبْلُغَliyablughato reach
فَاهُfāhuhis mouth
وَمَاwamābut not
هُوَhuwait
بِبَـٰلِغِهِۦ ۚbibālighihireaches it
وَمَاwamāAnd not
دُعَآءُduʿāu(is) the supplication
ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَl-kāfirīna(of) the disbelievers
إِلَّاillābut
فِىin
ضَلَـٰلٍۢḍalālinerror

Commentary (Tafsir 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...

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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