Surah Ar-Ra’d Ayat 14 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 14
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].
For Him (alone) is prayer in Truth: any others that they call upon besides Him hear them no more than if they were to stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but it reaches them not: for the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile) wandering (in the mind).
To Him alone should all prayer be addressed, 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.
For Him (Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but He). 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).
Unto Him is the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at all, save as (is the response to) one who stretcheth forth his hands toward water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it. The prayer of disbelievers goeth (far) astray.
To Him is the call of Truth. And the ones upon whom they invoke, apart from Him, do not respond to them in anything, except it is as one who stretches out his hands to water that it may reach his mouth; and in no way will it reach it. And in no way does the invocation of the disbelievers go anywhere except in error.
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.
اسی کو پکارنا حق ہے۔ جو لوگ اوروں کو اس کے سوا پکارتے ہیں وه ان (کی پکار) کا کچھ بھی جواب نہیں دیتے مگر جیسے کوئی شخص اپنے دونوں ہاتھ پانی کی طرف پھیلائے ہوئے ہو کہ اس کے منھ میں پڑ جائے حاﻻنکہ وه پانی اس کے منھ میں پہنچنے واﻻ نہیں، ان منکروں کی جتنی پکار ہے سب گمراہی میں ہے
Quran 13 Verse 14 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ar-Ra’d ayat 14, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(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.
Ibn-Kathir
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.)
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