Surah Ankabut ayat 64 Tafsir Quran 29:64

﴿وَمَا هَٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[ العنكبوت: 64]

29:64 And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew.

And the life of this world is nothing but diversion and play whereas closeness to God pertains to concern for the Hereafter since the fruits thereof will be revealed in it. But surely the Abode of the Hereafter is indeed the true Life if they only knew this then they would not prefer this world to it.

Life here is but an illusive and rapid change of feeling, fancy and thought and an amusement bringing happiness to those who cannot think. Whereas the Hereafter -which you should keep in mind and work for- is the life that is meaningful and significant, purposeful and blissful and above all eternal if only they knew

Allah tells us how insignificant and transient this world is, and how it will soon end.
All that it وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الْحَيَوَانُ ( Verily, the home of the Hereafter -- that is the life indeed, ) means, the true everlasting life that will never end, but will continue forever and ever. لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( if they but knew. ) means, they would prefer that which will last over that which will pass away.
Then Allah says that at times of calamity, the idolators call upon Him alone, with no partner or associate, so why do they not do that all the time فَإِذَا رَكِبُواْ فِى الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ( And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, ) This is like the Ayah, وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ( And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone ).
But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away) ( 17:67 ).
Allah says here: فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ ( but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others. ) Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from `Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Makkah, he ( `Ikrimah ) ran away, fleeing from him.
When he was on the sea, headed for Ethiopia, the ship started to rock and the crew said: "O people, pray sincerely to your Lord alone, for no one can save us from this except Him." `Ikrimah said: "By Allah, if there is none who can save us on the sea except Him, then there is none who can save us on land except Him either, O Allah, I vow to You that if I come out of this, I will go and put my hand in the hand of Muhammad ﷺ and I will find him kind and merciful." And this is what indeed did happen. لِيَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُواْ ( So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment, )

(29:64) The present life is nothing but sport and amusement. *102 The true life is in the Abode of the Hereafter; if only they knew. *103

And this worldly life is not but meaning

*102) That is " The reality of it is no more than the children's engaging in a sport and pastime for a while, and then returning home.
The one has become a king here, has not become a king in reality but is only playing the king.
A time comes when his play ends, and ne leaves the royal throne as empty-handed as he was when he had entered the world.
Similarly, no phase of life here is enduring and lasting.
Every one is playing his part only temporarily for a limited time.
Those who are charmed by the short-lived triumphs of this life and are able to collect some means of enjoyment and pleasure and of glory and grandeur by losing their conscience and faith, are only engaged in a pastime.
What will these toys profit them when after amusing themselves with these for a score or three score and ten years in the world they will enter through the gate of death empty-handed into the Next World of eternal life and find their same allurements to have caused them an everlasting affliction ? "
*103) That is, "If these people had known the reality that the life of this world is only a period of preparation for the test, and the real life for man, which is everlasting, is the life hereafter, they would not have wasted this preparatory period in sport and merry-making, but would instead have utilized each moment of it in works conducive to better results in the eternal life of the Hereafter.

 

Allah tells us how insignificant and transient this world is, and how it will soon end.
All that it وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الْحَيَوَانُ ( Verily, the home of the Hereafter -- that is the life indeed, ) means, the true everlasting life that will never end, but will continue forever and ever. لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( if they but knew. ) means, they would prefer that which will last over that which will pass away.
Then Allah says that at times of calamity, the idolators call upon Him alone, with no partner or associate, so why do they not do that all the time فَإِذَا رَكِبُواْ فِى الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ ( And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, ) This is like the Ayah, وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ ( And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone ).
But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away) ( 17:67 ).
Allah says here: فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ ( but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others. ) Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from `Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Makkah, he ( `Ikrimah ) ran away, fleeing from him.
When he was on the sea, headed for Ethiopia, the ship started to rock and the crew said: "O people, pray sincerely to your Lord alone, for no one can save us from this except Him." `Ikrimah said: "By Allah, if there is none who can save us on the sea except Him, then there is none who can save us on land except Him either, O Allah, I vow to You that if I come out of this, I will go and put my hand in the hand of Muhammad ﷺ and I will find him kind and merciful." And this is what indeed did happen. لِيَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُواْ ( So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment, )

( This life of the world ) the comfort and embellishment which is the life of the world ( is but a pastime ) exhilaration ( and a game ) and falsehood which does not last. ( Lo! the home of the Hereafter ) i.e. Paradise ( that is Life ) wherein its inhabitant never die, ( if they but knew ) if they but believed, but they do not know this nor believe in it.

And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter, that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew

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