Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
quran:13:14

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˺.  

His, exalted be He, is the call of truth, that is, the words that constitute it ˹the truth˺, and these are: ‘there is no god but God’ (lā ilāha illā’Llāh); and those upon whom they call (read yad‘ūn or tad‘ūn, ‘you call’), ˹those whom˺ they worship, apart from Him, that is, other than Him — namely, the idols — do not answer them anything, of which they ask; save as, is the response to, one who stretches forth his hands towards water, at the edge of a well, calling to it, that it may reach his mouth, by its rising through the well to ˹reach˺ him, but it would never reach it, that is, ˹reach˺ his mouth, ever: likewise they ˹the idols˺ will not answer them; and the call of the disbelievers, their worship of idols — or their actual supplication — goes only astray, ˹it is only˺ in perdition.
القرآن:١٣:١٤

لَهُ دَعْوَةُ الْحَقِّ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُونَ لَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا كَبَاسِطِ كَفَّيْهِ إِلَى الْمَاءِ لِيَبْلُغَ فَاهُ وَمَا هُوَ بِبَالِغِهِ ۚ وَمَا دُعَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ  

{له} تعالى {دعوة الحق} أي كلمته وهي لا إله إلا الله {والذين يدعون} بالياء والتاء يعبدون {من دونه} أي غيره وهم الأصنام {لا يستجيبون لهم بشيء} مما يطلبونه {إلا} استجابة {كباسط} أي كاستجابة باسط {كفيه إلى الماء} على شفير البئر يدعوه {ليبلغ فاه} بارتفاعه من البئر إليه {وما هو ببالغه} أي فاه أبدا فكذلك ما هم بمستجيبين لهم {وما دعاء الكافرين} عبادتهم الأصنام أو حقيقة الدعاء {إلا في ضلال} ضياع.