Does God accept the supplication of a disbeliever for guidance to the true religion, given the verse, "And the supplication of the disbelievers is only in error"?
The scholars' interpretations of the noble verse: "And the supplication of the disbelievers is only in straying" (Ar-Ra'd: 14) vary. Some believe it refers to their supplications to their false deities, which are not answered, and this is apparent from the context. Others hold that it is general, and that the disbelievers' supplications to their Lord are not answered because their voices are veiled from Allah.
Some scholars are of the view that the verse refers to the disbelievers' supplications in the Hereafter, while others believe that Allah may sometimes answer the supplication of a disbeliever in this world, not as an honor to them, but perhaps because their supplication coincides with a time when the supplication of the righteous is answered, or because Allah had decreed their salvation before they supplicated. For Allah, the Exalted, answers the call of the distressed and the oppressed, even if they are disbelievers, but this answer is not necessarily a sign of pleasure or love.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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