Verses about Prayer (Du‘a’) / Of Idol-Worshipper - inQuran Topics

English - Hazrat Molavi Sher Ali ^ra

Unto Him is the true prayer. And those on whom they call beside Him answer them not at all, except as he is answered who stretches forth his two hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. And the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted.

اردو ترجمہ مرزا طاہر احمد خلیفة المسیح الرابعؒ

سچّی دعا اُسی سے کی جاتی ہے۔ اور جنہیں وہ اُس کے سوا پکارتے ہیں وہ ان کی کسی بات کا جواب نہیں دیتے ہاں مگر (وہ) اس شخص کی طرح (ہیں) جو اپنے دونوں ہاتھ پانی کی طرف بڑھائے تاکہ وہ اس کے منہ تک پہنچ جائے حالانکہ وہ کسی صورت اس تک پہنچنے والا نہیں۔ اور کافروں کی دعا گمراہی میں بھٹکنے کے سوا اَور کچھ نہیں۔

French

Ce n’est qu’à Lui Seul que sont adressées les vraies prières. Et ceux à qui ils en appellent en dehors de Lui ne leur rendent aucune réponse, sauf la réponse que reçoit celui qui tend les deux mains vers l’eau afin qu’elle atteigne sa bouche, mais elle ne l’atteint pas. Et la prière des mécréants n’est que peine perdue.

German

Ihm gebührt das wahre Gebet. Und jene, die sie statt Ihn anrufen, geben ihnen kein Gehör; (sie sind) wie jener, der seine beiden Hände nach Wasser ausstreckt, damit es seinen Mund erreiche, doch es erreicht ihn nicht. Und das Gebet der Ungläubigen ist bloß ein verschwendetes Ding.

Chinese

(只有) 他是真正值得祈祷的。[a]凡他们舍他而祈祷的那些 (对象), 都将完全不回答他们。(他们的情况) 好像一个人的情况: 他向水伸出双手, 以便水达到他的口。但水不会达到口。[b]不信者的祈祷只是无益的东西而已。

Italian

A Lui solo è rivolta la vera preghiera. E quelli che loro invocano oltre a Lui non rispondono loro. Essi sono simili a colui che tende le braccia verso l'acqua perché possa raggiungere la sua bocca, ma non la raggiunge. E la preghiera dei miscredenti non è altro che cosa sprecata.

Spanish

La verdadera oración es la dirigida sólo a Él. Aquellos a quienes nvocan en lugar de Él no les responden en absoluto, salvo como es respondido aquel que extiende sus dos manos hacia el agua para que llegue a su boca, pero nunca llega. Pues la oración de los incrédulos no es más que una pérdida de tiempo.

اردو تفسیرِ صغیر

نہ ٹلنے والا بلاوا اسی کا ہے۔ اور جنہیں وہ اس کے سوا پکارتے ہیں۔ وہ ان (کی دعا) کا کوئی جواب نہیں دیتے۔ (ہاں) مگر[1] (ان کا فعل) اس (شخص) کی طرح ہے جو اپنے دونوں ہاتھ پانی کی طرف پھیلا رہا ہو۔ تا وہ اس کے منہ تک پہنچ جائے‘ لیکن وہ (پانی) اس تک کبھی نہیں پہنچے گا اور کافروں کی (چیخ اور) پکار ضائع ہو جائے گی۔

English - Short Commentary Translation

Unto Him alone is due the true prayer.[1429] [e]And those on whom they call instead of Him answer them not at all. Their case is but like the case of him who stretches forth his two hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not.[1430] [a]And the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted.

English - Five Volume Translation

Unto Him is the true prayer. [a]And those on whom they call beside Him answer them not at all, except as he is answered who stretches forth his two hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. [b]And the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted.[1626]

35:14; 40:21.

40:51.

Commentary:

The Quranic expression له دعوة الحق rendered in the text as, Unto Him is the true prayer, may be translated in several ways (1) God alone is worthy of worship; (2) it is praying to God alone that can be useful or beneficial for man; (3) the voice of God alone rises in support of truth i.e. the teaching which is really true and useful for man and is free from defects and untruths can come from God alone; (4) the Voice of God alone must prevail i.e. no one can frustrate God’s purpose and stand in His way; for the word حق (true) also means, that which prevails and becomes established.

The words, except as he is answered who stretches forth his two hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not, embody a great principle. Just as he who ascribes lower status to a higher thing remains deprived of its higher benefits, similarly, he who ascribes higher status to a lower thing deprives himself of its true benefits. The man who looks upon a spurious coin as a genuine one will practically suffer as much as he who unwittingly treats a genuine coin as a spurious one. Idolaters think that their gods will answer their prayers and come to their help, but they can never do so.

In like manner, those who ascribe divine powers to things created by God deprive themselves of even their limited uses. How can those who look upon fire and water as gods think of bringing them under their control? And how can those who look upon Prophets as gods derive from them the real good which they could derive from them by following them as heavenly Messengers?

The verse thus says that the right way to succeed in life is to put all things in their proper places, to give God the status which is His due and to stars, rivers and mountains the position which they rightly possess. Whereas we should worship God, pray to Him and seek His blessings, we should subject created things to our service and derive those benefits from them which the Wise God has placed in them. That alone is the way of success and true happiness.

The words, the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted, mean that all prayers of disbelievers addressed to false deities will prove fruitless.

اردو ترجمہ مودودی

اسی کو پکارنا برحق ہے رہیں وہ دوسری ہستیاں جنہیں اس کو چھوڑ کر یہ لوگ پکارتے ہیں، وہ اُن کی دعاؤں کا کوئی جواب نہیں دے سکتیں اُنہیں پکارنا تو ایسا ہے جیسے کوئی شخص پانی کی طرف ہاتھ پھیلا کر اُس سے درخواست کرے کہ تو میرے منہ تک پہنچ جا، حالانکہ پانی اُس تک پہنچنے والا نہیں بس اِسی طرح کافروں کی دعائیں بھی کچھ نہیں ہیں مگر ایک تیر بے ہدف!

English - Sahih

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].

اردو ترجمہ احمد علی

اسی کو پکارنا بجا ہے اوراس کے سوا جن لوگوں کو پکارتے ہیں وہ ان کے کچھ بھی کام نہیں آتے مگر جیسا کوئی پانی کی طرف اپنے دونوں ہاتھ پھیلائے کہ اس کے منہ میں آجائے حالانکہ وہ اس کے منہ تک نہیں پہنچتا اور کافروں کی جتنی پکار ہے سب گمراہی ہے

English - Talal Itani

To Him (is) supplication (of) the truth. And those whom they invoke besides Him not they respond to them with a thing except like one who stretches his hands towards water to reach his mouth, but not it reaches it. And not (is) the supplication (of) the disbelievers but in error.

Chinese Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

a

35:14; 40:21.

b

40:51.

اردہ تفصیرِ صغیر نوٹس ^*

1

یہاں استثناء منقطع ہے جس کے مطابق ترجمہ کیا گیا ہے۔

English - Arberry

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.

English - Maududi

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.

English - Ahmed Ali

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.

English - Yusuf Ali

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).

English - Five Volume Commentary ^*

Cross Refs:

a

35:14; 40:21.

b

40:51.

1626

Commentary:

The Quranic expression له دعوة الحق rendered in the text as, Unto Him is the true prayer, may be translated in several ways (1) God alone is worthy of worship; (2) it is praying to God alone that can be useful or beneficial for man; (3) the voice of God alone rises in support of truth i.e. the teaching which is really true and useful for man and is free from defects and untruths can come from God alone; (4) the Voice of God alone must prevail i.e. no one can frustrate God’s purpose and stand in His way; for the word حق (true) also means, that which prevails and becomes established.

The words, except as he is answered who stretches forth his two hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not, embody a great principle. Just as he who ascribes lower status to a higher thing remains deprived of its higher benefits, similarly, he who ascribes higher status to a lower thing deprives himself of its true benefits. The man who looks upon a spurious coin as a genuine one will practically suffer as much as he who unwittingly treats a genuine coin as a spurious one. Idolaters think that their gods will answer their prayers and come to their help, but they can never do so.

In like manner, those who ascribe divine powers to things created by God deprive themselves of even their limited uses. How can those who look upon fire and water as gods think of bringing them under their control? And how can those who look upon Prophets as gods derive from them the real good which they could derive from them by following them as heavenly Messengers?

The verse thus says that the right way to succeed in life is to put all things in their proper places, to give God the status which is His due and to stars, rivers and mountains the position which they rightly possess. Whereas we should worship God, pray to Him and seek His blessings, we should subject created things to our service and derive those benefits from them which the Wise God has placed in them. That alone is the way of success and true happiness.

The words, the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted, mean that all prayers of disbelievers addressed to false deities will prove fruitless.

English - Short Commentary Notes ^*

Cross Refs:

a

40:51.

e

35:14; 40:21.

1429

The expression may be translated as: (1) God alone is worthy of worship; (2) it is praying to God alone that can be useful or beneficial for man; (3) the Voice of God alone rises in support of truth; and (4) the Voice of God alone must prevail.

1430

The right way to succeed in life is to place all things in their proper places—to give God the status which is His due and to create things the position which they rightly possess. That alone is the way to success and true happiness.

English - Pickthall

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.

English - Muhammad Ali ^ra

To Him is due the true prayer. And those to whom they pray besides Him give them no answer, but (they are) like one who stretches forth his two hands towards water that I may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it. And the prayer of the disbelievers is only wasted.

English - Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan ^ra

Unto Him is the true prayer. Those on whom they call beside Him, do not respond to them at all. Their case is like that of one who stretches forth his hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. The prayer of the disbelievers is but a delusion.

Topic: Of Idol-Worshipper

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