Transliteration:( Lahoo da'watul haqq; wallazeena yad'oona min doonihee laa yastajeeboona lahum bishai'in illaa kabaasiti kaffaihi ilal maaa'i liyablugha faahu wa maa huwa bibaalighih; wa maa du'aaa'ul kaafireena illaa fee dalaal )
37. This means the worship of Allah Almighty is a fact, and that of the idols is false. Or, to call upon Allah Almighty for help is absolutely correct and to call upon His creation is incorrect. It should be remembered to seek the assistance of the ruler, the physician, to call upon the pious saints is in reality calling upon Allah Almighty.
38. This means to call upon the idols by worshipping them or regarding them as deifies. In this verse reference is not made upon to calling upon those who are cut off from Allah Almighty. About this we have been told by Allah Almighty "Call them after their fathers". (S33:V5) Further, Allah Almighty says: "And Our Messenger was calling you". (S3 V153) In Salaah we recite "Peace be upon Oh Messenger"
39. This means just as water is without knowledge- i.e. by just calling upon it, it will not rise to quench a person's thirst, the idols are the same. They too have no ability to respond to anyone's call. In fact, even Allah Almighty too does not respond to the infidel as he is calling upon the Almighty without the medium. He responds to those who try to reach Him through the medium of His friends. Says Allah Almighty: "Oh believers! Fear Allah and seek the means of approach to Him". (S5:V35)
40. Either its meaning is that the prayers of the infidels in this world are not accepted. Allah Almighty did not accept the complete prayer offered by the devil, but He rejected it. The devil had asked for eternal life, but he was granted life prior to resurrection, not beyond it. Or, it could mean the infidel's due will not be accepted after he is sent into Hell, or that whatever prayers they seek from the idols are all to no avail, or these polytheists who are worshipping the idols are ruined, and laid to waste they are without any benefits. In short, there is no inconsistency in the verse. The acceptance of some prayers of the infidels is not contrary to this verse.
Â
14. For Him is the Word of Truth. And those whom they invoke besides Him, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.
`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.)
(13:14) To Him alone should all prayer be addressed,[23] for those to whom they do address their prayers beside Him are altogether powerless to respond to them. The example of praying to any other than Allah is that of a man who stretches out his hands to water, asking it to reach his mouth, although water has no power to reach his mouth. The prayers of the unbelievers are a sheer waste.
23. “For Him is the supplication of truth,” for Allah alone has the power and the authority to give help and remove difficulties.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics