"To Him is the call of truth," which is 'La ilaha illa Allah' (there is no god but Allah). "And those whom they call upon besides Him," meaning: the idols, "do not answer them with anything, except as one who stretches forth his hands to water so that it may reach his mouth, but it will not reach it." This is an analogy for the one who worships idols in the hope of good in their worship; he is like the person who raises a vessel to his mouth hoping for life through it, but dies before it reaches his mouth. Likewise, the polytheists, for when they hoped for the benefit of their gods, it went astray from them. "And the call of the disbelievers" to their gods "is but in error."
﴿لَهُ دَعْوَة الْحق﴾ هِيَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلا اللَّهُ ﴿وَالَّذين يدعونَ من دونه﴾ يَعْنِي: الأَوْثَانَ ﴿لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُمْ بشيءٍ إِلا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ ببالغه﴾ هَذَا مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَعْبُدُ الأَوْثَانَ رَجَاءَ الْخَيْرِ فِي عِبَادَتِهَا هُوَ كَالَّذِي يَرْفَعُ بِيَدِهِ الإِنَاءَ إِلَى فِيهِ يَرْجُو بِهِ الْحَيَاةَ، فَمَاتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَصِلَ إِلَى فِيهِ؛ فَكَذَلِكَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ حَيْثُ رَجَوْا مَنْفَعَةَ آلِهَتِهِمْ ضَلَّتْ عَنْهُمْ ﴿وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافرين﴾ آلِهَتَهُمْ ﴿إِلا فِي ضَلالٍ﴾.
