Surah Anbiya ayat 17 Tafsir Quran 21:17

﴿لَوْ أَرَدْنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَّاتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا إِن كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ﴾
[ الأنبياء: 17]

21:17 Had We intended to take a diversion, We could have taken it from [what is] with Us - if [indeed] We were to do so.

Had We desired to find some diversion that which provides diversion in the way of a partner or a child We would have found it with Ourselves from among the beautiful-eyed houris or angels were We to do so. But We did not do so thus We never desired it.

Had We purposed to have fun or diversion We would have had recourse to what We have in Our heavens realm if indeed We meant to do so

Creation was made with Justice and Wisdom Allah tells us that He created the heavens and the earth in truth, i.e.
with justice. لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى ( that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best. ) 53:31.
He did not create all that in vain or for ( mere ) play: وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـطِلاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ ( And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire! ) 38:27 لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that ).) Ibn Abi Najih said, narrating from Mujahid: لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ ( Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, ) "Meaning, `From Ourself,' He is saying, `We would not have created Paradise or Hell or death or the resurrection or the Reckoning."' إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( if We were going to do (that ).
) Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and Mughirah bin Miqsam said: "This means, `We will not do that."' Mujahid said, every time the word أَنْ ( if ) is used in the Qur'an, it is a negation. بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ ( Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, ) means, `We explain the truth and thus defeat falsehood.' Allah says: فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ( so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears. ) it is fading and vanishing. وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ ( And woe to you ) O you who say that Allah has offspring. مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ ( for that which you ascribe. ) that which you say and fabricate.
Then Allah informs of the servitude of the angels, and how they persevere in worship night and day: Everything belongs to Allah and serves Him وَلَهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ ( To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth.
And those who are near Him ) i.e., the angels, لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ ( are not too proud to worship Him, ) they do not feel proud and do not refuse to worship Him.
This is like the Ayah: لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْداً للَّهِ وَلاَ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَمَن يَسْتَنْكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيهِ جَمِيعاً ( Al-Masih will never be proud to reject being a servant of Allah, nor the angels who are the near.
And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself. ) 4:172 وَلاَ يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ ( nor are they weary. ) means, they do not get tired or feel bored. يُسَبِّحُونَ الْلَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لاَ يَفْتُرُونَ ( They glorify His praises night and day, they never slacken. ) They persist in their worship night and day, obeying Allah to the utmost, and they are able to do this, as Allah says: لاَّ يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ( who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded ) 66:6

(21:17) Had We meant to make it a plaything and nothing more than this, We would have done it by Ourself. *16

Had We intended to take a diversion, meaning

*16) That is, " This world has been created with a definite purpose and not as a plaything; for, if he had wanted to enjoy a sport, We would have done so without creating a sentient, rational and responsible creature like you.
Far be it from Us to put man to trial and conflict for the sake of mere fun. "
 

Creation was made with Justice and Wisdom Allah tells us that He created the heavens and the earth in truth, i.e.
with justice. لِيَجْزِىَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيِجْزِى الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ بِالْحُسْنَى ( that He may requite those who do evil with that which they have done, and reward those who do good, with what is best. ) 53:31.
He did not create all that in vain or for ( mere ) play: وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَـطِلاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنَ النَّارِ ( And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them without purpose! That is the consideration of those who disbelieve! Then woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire! ) 38:27 لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that ).) Ibn Abi Najih said, narrating from Mujahid: لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْواً لاَّتَّخَذْنَـهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ ( Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, ) "Meaning, `From Ourself,' He is saying, `We would not have created Paradise or Hell or death or the resurrection or the Reckoning."' إِن كُنَّا فَـعِلِينَ ( if We were going to do (that ).
) Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and Mughirah bin Miqsam said: "This means, `We will not do that."' Mujahid said, every time the word أَنْ ( if ) is used in the Qur'an, it is a negation. بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ ( Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, ) means, `We explain the truth and thus defeat falsehood.' Allah says: فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ( so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears. ) it is fading and vanishing. وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ ( And woe to you ) O you who say that Allah has offspring. مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ ( for that which you ascribe. ) that which you say and fabricate.
Then Allah informs of the servitude of the angels, and how they persevere in worship night and day: Everything belongs to Allah and serves Him وَلَهُ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ ( To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth.
And those who are near Him ) i.e., the angels, لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ ( are not too proud to worship Him, ) they do not feel proud and do not refuse to worship Him.
This is like the Ayah: لَّن يَسْتَنكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْداً للَّهِ وَلاَ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ وَمَن يَسْتَنْكِفْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ وَيَسْتَكْبِرْ فَسَيَحْشُرُهُمْ إِلَيهِ جَمِيعاً ( Al-Masih will never be proud to reject being a servant of Allah, nor the angels who are the near.
And whosoever rejects His worship and is proud, then He will gather them all together unto Himself. ) 4:172 وَلاَ يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ ( nor are they weary. ) means, they do not get tired or feel bored. يُسَبِّحُونَ الْلَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لاَ يَفْتُرُونَ ( They glorify His praises night and day, they never slacken. ) They persist in their worship night and day, obeying Allah to the utmost, and they are able to do this, as Allah says: لاَّ يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ( who do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded ) 66:6

Then Allah revealed the following, when they said that the angels are Allah’s daughters: ( If We had wished to find a pastime ) if We wished to have daughters; and it is said that this means: if We wished to have a wife; and it is also said that this means: if We wished to have children, ( We could have found it in Our presence ) from Us from among the maidens of Paradise ( if We ever did ) and We will never do this.

Had We intended to take a pastime (i.e. a wife or a son, etc.), We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that).

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