Surah Ar-Ra'd (الرعد) • The Thunder

Quran 13:14

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

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].

— Saheeh International

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.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

For Him (Allah, Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 13Page 251medinan

Word by Word

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