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Surah Ar-Ra'd, Ayah 14 (13:14)

ٱلرَّعْد

لَهُۥ دَعْوَةُ ٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَىْءٍ إِلَّا …

Quran 13:14 is ayah 14 of Surah Ar-Ra'd (“The Thunder”), a Medinan surah of 43 ayahs. It is in Juz 13, on page 251 of the Madani Mushaf.

13:14
لَهُۥدَعْوَةُٱلْحَقِّ ۖوَٱلَّذِينَيَدْعُونَمِندُونِهِۦلَايَسْتَجِيبُونَلَهُمبِشَىْءٍإِلَّاكَبَٰسِطِكَفَّيْهِإِلَىٱلْمَآءِلِيَبْلُغَفَاهُوَمَاهُوَبِبَٰلِغِهِۦ ۚوَمَادُعَآءُٱلْكَٰفِرِينَإِلَّافِىضَلَٰلٍ١٤
lahu daʿwatu l-ḥaqi wa-alladhīna yadʿūna min dūnihi lā yastajībūna lahum bishayin illā kabāsiṭi kaffayhi ilā l-māi liyablugha fāhu wamā huwa bibālighihi wamā duʿāu l-kāfirīna illā fī ḍalālin

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].(14)

Word by word

  1. لَهُۥlahuTo Him
  2. دَعْوَةُdaʿwatu(is) supplication
  3. ٱلْحَقِّ ۖl-ḥaqi(of) the truth
  4. وَٱلَّذِينَwa-alladhīnaAnd those whom
  5. يَدْعُونَyadʿūnathey invoke
  6. مِنminbesides Him
  7. دُونِهِۦdūnihibesides Him
  8. لَاlānot
  9. يَسْتَجِيبُونَyastajībūnathey respond
  10. لَهُمlahumto them
  11. بِشَىْءٍbishayinwith a thing
  12. إِلَّاillāexcept
  13. كَبَٰسِطِkabāsiṭilike one who stretches
  14. كَفَّيْهِkaffayhihis hands
  15. إِلَىilātowards
  16. ٱلْمَآءِl-māiwater
  17. لِيَبْلُغَliyablughato reach
  18. فَاهُfāhuhis mouth
  19. وَمَاwamābut not
  20. هُوَhuwait
  21. بِبَٰلِغِهِۦ ۚbibālighihireaches it
  22. وَمَاwamāAnd not
  23. دُعَآءُduʿāu(is) the supplication
  24. ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَl-kāfirīna(of) the disbelievers
  25. إِلَّاillābut
  26. فِىfīin
  27. ضَلَٰلٍḍalālinerror

Tafsir (commentary) of 13:14

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz 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.)

Read the full Surah Ar-Ra'd