Parables of the QuranA parable of the Quran · Ar-Ra'd 13:14

The hands stretched out to water

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Calling on false gods is like a thirsty man stretching his hands to water that will never reach his mouth.

Quran

What it means

Those called on besides Allah answer nothing, except as water answers one who stretches his hands towards it from afar so that it may reach his mouth, and it never reaches it (13:14).

As-Sa'di explains that true supplication belongs to Allah alone: worship, fear, hope, love and turning back are His due, because only His divinity is true. The idols answer their callers in nothing, small or great, in this world or the next, like water the thirsty man cannot reach however far he stretches.

Evidence

QuranAr-Ra'd (The Thunder)Quran 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 ١٤

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].[634] And the supplication of the disbelievers is not but in error [i.e., futility].

Translator's notes

[634] The analogy indicates that false deities will never respond to them at all.

Saheeh International · QuranEnc v1.1.2

Another translation: Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan · QuranEnc v1.1.2

14. 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).

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