Quran Universe
13:14

لَهُۥ دَعۡوَةُ ٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ لَا يَسۡتَجِيبُونَ لَهُم بِشَيۡءٍ إِلَّا كَبَٰسِطِ كَفَّيۡهِ إِلَى ٱلۡمَآءِ لِيَبۡلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَٰلِغِهِۦۚ وَمَا دُعَآءُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ

Lahu daAAwatu alhaqqi waallatheena yadAAoona min doonihi la yastajeeboona lahum bishayin illa kabasiti kaffayhi ila almai liyablugha fahu wama huwa bibalighihi wama duAAao alkafireena illa fee dalalin

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].

Word by word
  1. لَهُۥTo Him
  2. دَعۡوَةُ(is) supplication
  3. ٱلۡحَقِّۚ(of) the truth
  4. وَٱلَّذِينَAnd those whom
  5. يَدۡعُونَthey invoke
  6. مِنbesides Him
  7. دُونِهِۦbesides Him
  8. لَاnot
  9. يَسۡتَجِيبُونَthey respond
  10. لَهُمto them
  11. بِشَيۡءٍwith a thing
  12. إِلَّاexcept
  13. كَبَٰسِطِlike one who stretches
  14. كَفَّيۡهِhis hands
  15. إِلَىtowards
  16. ٱلۡمَآءِwater
  17. لِيَبۡلُغَto reach
  18. فَاهُhis mouth
  19. وَمَاbut not
  20. هُوَit
  21. بِبَٰلِغِهِۦۚreaches it
  22. وَمَاAnd not
  23. دُعَآءُ(is) the supplication
  24. ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ(of) the disbelievers
  25. إِلَّاbut
  26. فِيin
  27. ضَلَٰلٖerror
Ar-Ra'd · 13:14Madinah

Calling others is like begging water to jump into your mouth.

The only call that gets an answer

The picture in the verse
a thirsty manat the edge of a well
stretches hands to
the waterfar below
result
nothingit never reaches his mouth
Where the call goes
anyone but Himhands out, nothing comes
the call of truthla ilaha illallah

Ali ibn Abi Talib, quoted by Ibn Kathir, described a man stretching his hand at the edge of a deep well, his hands not reaching the water, so how could it reach his mouth? That is calling on anything besides Allah. Ibn Abbas said the call of truth is la ilaha illallah.

Late at night you refresh the inbox, hoping a reply from someone will fix your mood. You count on a boss, a lucky break, a person who keeps not showing up. Hands out over a well. The One who actually answers is closer.

If I just get the right person on my side, I will be okay.

Only a call to Allah reaches. Everything else is hands over a well.

Try this

Before you message someone for help today, make a short dua to Allah first.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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 (14)

A Parable for the Weakness of the False Gods of the Polytheists

Ali bin Abi Talib said that Allah's statement,

لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ

(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,

لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ

(For Him is the Word of Truth.) means, "La ilaha illallah." Allah said next,

وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ

(And those whom they invoke besides Him...), meaning, the example of those who worship others besides Allah,

كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ

(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,

كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ

(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,

وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ

(and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)