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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 Allahu ta’ālā' (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.