Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

197. “And those whom you call upon other than Him can neither help you, nor help themselves.”

198. “And if you call them to guidance, they do not hear; and you see them looking towards you, but they do not see.”

The verse implies that the idols and deities of pagans are not able to help them or defend them. They are also incapable even to help their own selves. This meaning has been repeated here again, because in previous verse, the purpose was to premand the idol-worshippers, while here the purpose is to discriminate between Allah (s.w.t.) and something which is not adorable.

It seems that the Prophet of Islam (S) says that his Deity helps him but their deities help neither them nor their own selves. The verse says:

“And those whom you call upon other than Him can neither help you, nor help themselves.”

The second verse indicates that if you call the idols to guidance and rectitude, they do not hear your invitation. That is, if you call idolaters to the upright religion, they do not hear you to follow. The verse says:

“And if you call them to guidance, they do not hear...”

The verse, addressing idol worshippers, implies that they have made the idols in a shape that they gaze them, but they do not see anything. This looking, of course, is metaphorical, since an inanimate thing cannot look at something. The verse continues saying:

“…and you see them looking towards you, but they do not see.”