وَمَا

To Him belongs the call to truth. Those they call upon besides Him do not respond to them with anything—except as someone who stretches his hands towards water, so that it may reach his mouth, but it does not reach it. The prayers of the unbelievers are only in vain

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

Prayer is His of right: but these deities to whom they pray beside Him give them no answer, otherwise than as he is answered who stretcheth forth his hands to the water that it may reach his mouth, when it cannot reach it! The prayer of the Infidels only wandereth, and is lost

On Him is the call of truth, and those who call on others than Him shall not be answered at all, save as one who stretches out his hand to the water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not! The call of the misbelievers is only in error

for him the call of the truth and those who they call from his apart from not they respond for them by thing except as one who stretches out his the two palms to the water he reaches his the mouth and not He by his reaching and not calling of the one who rejects except in straying

Generated from a table of word-by-word decisions, not written as prose. Arabic word order is preserved, so it reads stiffly and is not a substitute for a translation written by a person. Every verse is rendered, but the whole remains under review: words marked as judgement rest on weaker evidence than the rest and are flagged in place. No tafsir, hadith or existing translation was consulted.