To Him belongs the call of truth; and those to whom they call, besides Him, answer them nothing save it be as one stretching forth his hands to water, that it might reach his mouth, but it reaches it not; and the supplication of the false claimers of guidance is only in error.
| # | word | meaning | root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | lahu | To Him | |
| 2 | daʿwatu | (is) supplication | دعو |
| 3 | l-ḥaqi | (of) the truth | حقق |
| 4 | wa-alladhīna | And those whom | |
| 5 | yadʿūna | they invoke | دعو |
| 6 | min | besides Him | |
| 7 | dūnihi | besides Him | دون |
| 8 | lā | not | |
| 9 | yastajībūna | they respond | جوب |
| 10 | lahum | to them | |
| 11 | bishayin | with a thing | شيا |
| 12 | illā | except | |
| 13 | kabāsiṭi | like one who stretches | بسط |
| 14 | kaffayhi | his hands | كفف |
| 15 | ilā | towards | |
| 16 | l-māi | water | موه |
| 17 | liyablugha | to reach | بلغ |
| 18 | fāhu | his mouth | فوه |
| 19 | wamā | but not | |
| 20 | huwa | it | |
| 21 | bibālighihi | reaches it | بلغ |
| 22 | wamā | And not | |
| 23 | duʿāu | (is) the supplication | دعو |
| 24 | l-kāfirīna | (of) the disbelievers | كفر |
| 25 | illā | but | |
| 26 | fī | in | |
| 27 | ḍalālin | error | ضلل |
The call of truth is made to Him alone. Those they call upon apart from Him do not respond to them at all. It is like someone stretching out his cupped hands towards water to convey it to his mouth: it will never get there. The call of the kuffar only goes astray.
To Him is the call of truth. And those who are called on besides Him, they will not respond to them in anything; like one who places his hands openly in the water to drink, but it never reaches his mouth. The call of the rejecters is nothing but in misguidance.
Calling upon, and working in line with His Laws yield solid results. Those unto whom they call besides Allah, respond to them not at all. Thus they are like those who stretch their hands to the water which is not there. So nothing reaches their mouths. Hence, the prayer of the deniers of the Divine Laws is but vain prayer (4:123).
To Him belongs the call of truth; and those to whom they call, besides Him, answer them nothing save it be as one stretching forth his hands to water, that it might reach his mouth, but it reaches it not; and the supplication of the false claimers of guidance is only in error.
To Him is the call of truth. And those who are called on besides Him, they will not respond to them in anything; like one who places his hands openly in the water to drink, except it never reaches his mouth. The call of the rejecters is nothing but in misguidance.
To Him is the call of truth. Those who are called on besides Him, they will not respond to them in anything. It is like one who places his hands openly in the water to drink, but it never reaches his mouth. The call of the ingrates is nothing but in misguidance.
Imploring Him is the only legitimate supplication, while the idols they implore beside Him cannot ever respond. Thus, they are like those who stretch their hands to the water, but nothing reaches their mouths. The supplications of the disbelievers are in vain.
To call on Him is true (supplication). For those they invoke other than Him do not answer them at all, except like a man who stretches his hands towards the water that it reach his mouth, but it will never reach it. Not more than error are the prayers of infidels.
To Him 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 to reach his mouth, but it will not reach it . And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error .
Unto Him is due all prayer aiming at the Ultimate Truth, since those whom men invoke instead of God cannot respond to them in any way - but like one who stretches his open hands towards water, that it will reach his mouth, the while it never reaches him. Hence, the prayer of those who deny the truth amounts to no more than losing oneself in grievous error.
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 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.
The spirit of truth that guides into all truth is asserted as Allah's own, whereas those objects they worship and invoke besides Him do not respond to them anymore than the thirsty who stretches out his hand to lift water to his gaping mouth but it never reaches his mouth. Indeed the system of faith and worship practiced by the infidels is simply worthless and leads them to the loss in the of error.
The only one who should be begged (and worshipped) is the Lord. The idols that the disbelievers implore cannot ever respond. Asking for help from someone beside God is like stretching the hands towards water and asking it to come to the mouth! The prayers of the disbelievers, therefore, is in vain.
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).
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).
Calling upon Him ˹alone˺ is the truth. But those ˹idols˺ the pagans invoke besides Him ˹can˺ never respond to them in any way. ˹It is˺ just like someone who stretches out their hands to water, ˹asking it˺ to reach their mouths, but it can never do so. The calls of the disbelievers are only in vain.
True prayers are to be directed to Him alone; and those to whom they pray instead of Him do not respond to them at all, but they are like one who stretches his hands towards water so that it may reach his mouth (by itself), while it is not to reach it. And the prayer of the disbelievers (that they make to false gods) is nothing but straying in void.
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.
To Him is the call of truth; and those upon whom they call, apart from Him, answer them nothing, but it is as a man who stretches out his hands to water that it may reach his mouth, and it reaches it not. The prayer of the unbelievers goes only astray.
On Him is the call of truth, and those who call on others than Him shall not be answered at all, save as one who stretches out his hand to the water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not! The call of the misbelievers is only in error.
And the thunder hymns His praise, and the angels too for awe of Him; and He sends the thunderclap and smites therewith whom He will while they dispute about Allah; but He is strong and All-mighty.
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.
It is He who ought of right to be invoked; and the idols which they invoke besides Him, shall not hear them at all; otherwise than as he is heard, who stretcheth forth his hands to the water that it may ascend to his mouth, when it cannot ascend thither: The supplication of the unbelievers is utterly erroneous.
The True prayer is for Him (and only for Him): Any other (things) that they call to besides Him do not hear them any more than the one who stretches out his hands for water to reach his mouths but it does not reach him: Because the prayer of those without faith is nothing but (useless) misguidance.
He alone deserves being called upon (in prayer). Those they call upon, apart from Him, give them no response whatsoever, but (these polytheists pray to them) like one who stretches forth both of his hands towards the water (wishing) that it may reach his mouth while it never reaches it. And the call of the disbelievers is nought but in vain.
to Him belongs the true invocation; and those whom they invoke besides Him do not answer them in any wise— like someone who stretches his hands towards water that it should reach his mouth, but it does not reach it— and the invocations of the faithless only go awry.