Tafsir

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,كَبَـسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَآءِ 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,كَبَـسِطِ 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 دُعَآءُ الْكَـفِرِينَ إِلاَّ فِى ضَلَـلٍ(and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but misguidance.)

In the next verse (13), it was said: وَيُسَبِّحُ الرَّ‌عْدُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ خِيفَتِهِ (And the thunder proclaims His purity with His praise, and [ so do ] the angels, out of His awe). In Arabic usage, the word: الرَّ‌عْدُ (Ar-Ra` d)refers to the sound of the clouds generated by their collision. The sense of (Tasbih: the glorification of Allah) mentioned here is that of the same Tasbih about which it has been said in another verse of the Qur’ an: وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ 'And there is nothing in the heavens and the earth which does not glorify Allah, but they do not understand their glorification' - (17:44).

And it appears in some narrations of Hadith that Ar-Ra'd is the name of the angel appointed to bring rains. In terms of this sense, the reciting of Tasbih is obvious.

Said in the next sentence 12 is: وَيُرْ‌سِلُ الصَّوَاعِقَ فَيُصِيبُ بِهَا مَن يَشَاءُ (And He sends the thunderbolts and strikes with it whom He wills). The word: الصَّوَاعِقَ (as-sawa` iq) is the plural form of a-sa` iqah which is the name of the thunderbolt that strikes the earth. The sense of the verse is that it is Allah who sends these thunderbolts down upon the earth and, with these, He strikes whom He wills.

The last sentence of this verse is: وَهُمْ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي اللَّـهِ وَهُوَ شَدِيدُ الْمِحَالِ they are quarrelling about Allah, and He is stern in His plan). The word: الْمِحَالِ (al-mihal: with Kasrah on the initial letter Mim) has been used here in the triple sense of stratagem and plan, and retribution and punishment, and in the sense of power as well. The verse means that (it is in the background of what has been stated above) that these people are busy with debates and altercations about the truth of Allah's Oneness - despite the fact that Allah Ta` ala has the ultimate power whose plan overtakes all and nothing works against it.

لله سبحانه وتعالى وحده دعوة التوحيد (لا إله إلا الله) ، فلا يُعبد ولا يُدعى إلا هو، والآلهة التي يعبدونها من دون الله لا تجيب دعاء مَن دعاها، وحالهم معها كحال عطشان يمد يده إلى الماء من بعيد; ليصل إلى فمه فلا يصل إليه، وما سؤال الكافرين لها إلا غاية في البعد عن الصواب لإشراكهم بالله غيره.

قال علي بن أبى طالب ، رضي الله عنه : ( له دعوة الحق ) قال : التوحيد . رواه ابن جرير .وقال ابن عباس ، وقتادة ، ومالك عن محمد بن المنكدر : ( له دعوة الحق ) [ قال ] لا إله إلا الله .( والذين يدعون من دونه ) أي : ومثل الذين يعبدون آلهة غير الله . ( كباسط كفيه إلى الماء ليبلغ فاه ) قال علي بن أبي طالب : كمثل الذي يتناول الماء من طرف البئر بيده ، وهو لا يناله أبدا بيده ، فكيف يبلغ فاه ؟ .وقال مجاهد : ( كباسط كفيه ) يدعو الماء بلسانه ، ويشير إليه [ بيده ] فلا يأتيه أبدا .وقيل : المراد كقابض يده على الماء ، فإنه لا يحكم منه على شيء ، كما قال الشاعر :فإني وإياكم وشوقا إليكم كقابض ماء لم تسقه أناملهوقال الآخر :فأصبحت مما كان بيني وبينها من الود مثل القابض الماء باليدومعنى الكلام : أن هذا الذي يبسط يده إلى الماء ، إما قابضا وإما متناولا له من بعد ، كما أنه لا ينتفع بالماء الذي لم يصل إلى فيه ، الذي جعله محلا للشرب ، فكذلك هؤلاء المشركون الذين يعبدون مع الله إلها غيره ، لا ينتفعون بهم أبدا في الدنيا ولا في الآخرة; ولهذا قال : ( وما دعاء الكافرين إلا في ضلال )