{Quran 13: 15. His [preaching] is the preaching of truth a; but those who call to other than Him b, they answer them not at all c, save as one [soul] who stretches out his hands to the water d that it may reach his [spiritual] mouth, but it reaches it not e; for the praying of unbelievers [of the idols] is only in missing [of the truth.]}
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a It means: The one who invites people to God alone, and forbids the worshipping of idols, then his invitation is an invitation of truth, and he is correct in his inviting [others to God], and if he asks his need from God, He will answer him.
b i.e. those who invite people to worship the idols, and they ask their needs from the idols.
c i.e. they will not grant them their needs, because the idols are inanimate and they do not harm nor profit anyone. Moreover, the angels do not hear their request, because they are far away from them in the heavens, and even if they hear, they will not answer them, because the affair altogether is by God’s hand, not by the hand of angels, neither by the hand of prophets, nor by any otherone ‘brought close to God’.
Therefore, their praying of the peers [whom they allege to God] is useless, and nothing can be obtained from asking them, but only the ‘wishes’; it means: they will not have any benefit from asking of the idols and peers, but only the wishful thinking of such associaters and idolaters and their delusions which are within themselves, when they say: The idols will help us against our enemies and grant us our needs and intercedes for us before God; therefore, the parable for these associaters and their asking of the idols is:
d i.e. like a man who has gone, following his death, to the world of souls, and he, being thirsty, approaches the river and stretches out his hands to the water to scoop and drink, but he cannot do that because he has become spiritual and light like the air while the water is heavy, so he cannot carry the water to drink it. So when he desperates of that river, he returns with his thirst and loses his hope. Therefore, similarly the one who stretches out his hands to the idols or to other creatures and asks his needs from them hoping that they will grant him his needs, will return with frustration and loss.
e Because the water is material and heavy, while the soul is ethereal and light and cannot carry it neither can it drink of it. While about the righteous souls: they will drink ethereal water brought by the angels from Paradise. Refer to the book: Man after Death http://www.quran-ayat.com/man/index.htm.
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a It means: The one who invites people to God alone, and forbids the worshipping of idols, then his invitation is an invitation of truth, and he is correct in his inviting [others to God], and if he asks his need from God, He will answer him.
b i.e. those who invite people to worship the idols, and they ask their needs from the idols.
c i.e. they will not grant them their needs, because the idols are inanimate and they do not harm nor profit anyone. Moreover, the angels do not hear their request, because they are far away from them in the heavens, and even if they hear, they will not answer them, because the affair altogether is by God’s hand, not by the hand of angels, neither by the hand of prophets, nor by any otherone ‘brought close to God’.
Therefore, their praying of the peers [whom they allege to God] is useless, and nothing can be obtained from asking them, but only the ‘wishes’; it means: they will not have any benefit from asking of the idols and peers, but only the wishful thinking of such associaters and idolaters and their delusions which are within themselves, when they say: The idols will help us against our enemies and grant us our needs and intercedes for us before God; therefore, the parable for these associaters and their asking of the idols is:
d i.e. like a man who has gone, following his death, to the world of souls, and he, being thirsty, approaches the river and stretches out his hands to the water to scoop and drink, but he cannot do that because he has become spiritual and light like the air while the water is heavy, so he cannot carry the water to drink it. So when he desperates of that river, he returns with his thirst and loses his hope. Therefore, similarly the one who stretches out his hands to the idols or to other creatures and asks his needs from them hoping that they will grant him his needs, will return with frustration and loss.
e Because the water is material and heavy, while the soul is ethereal and light and cannot carry it neither can it drink of it. While about the righteous souls: they will drink ethereal water brought by the angels from Paradise. Refer to the book: Man after Death http://www.quran-ayat.com/man/index.htm.
