Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion…
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except for the enjoyment of delusion.” [57:20]
In this verse, Allah uses vivid imagery to describe the fleeting nature of worldly life. He compares it to rain which produces beautiful plants that eventually wither away and become debris. He also highlights the temporary nature of worldly pleasures such as amusement, diversion, adornment, boasting, and competition in acquiring wealth and children. Allah reminds us that the true purpose of life is to seek forgiveness from Him and strive for His approval, which will lead to a good end in the Hereafter.
Starting the speech with the imperative verb “اعْلَمُوا know” signals that what will be said is worthy of full attention and focus from the audience.
And the opened hamza “أنما” indicates restriction, while the broken hamza “إنما” restricts the worldly life to six matters: play, amusement, adornment, showing off among yourselves, and competition in wealth and children, according to the majority of people. This is a restrictive view considering what most people’s aspirations are focused on in worldly matters, which, even if some are free from some aspects of it, they are not completely free from it, except for those whom Allah has protected. However, life can also involve acts of piety, benefits, kindness, support for truth, teaching virtues, and legislating laws.
“التَّكاثُرُ” (competing for wealth and children) is a result of abundance, and the form of the verb [التَّفاعُل] here is an exaggeration to highlight the status of those who are surpassed by others in quantity. They become more eager to have more than those who have less.In his statement “فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ“, it could be used either as justification or circumstantial. If wealth is considered a container, people’s desire to accumulate it becomes like someone drawing water from a well.
And his statement: ‘كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا Like the example of rain whose [resulting] plant growth impresses the disbelievers, then it withers and becomes debris.’ It could be in the position of a predicate of a deleted subject, meaning: ‘It is like the example of rain,’ so the sentence would be resumptive. The omitted subject here is of the type called ‘continuation of usage [مُتابعةَ الاستعمال].
It is possible for “al-Kaf” to be in the position of “al-Haal” (circumstantial adverb) and is similar in meaning to “as in the example of” or “like”. For example, the state of worldly life is like the state of rain, meaning the state of worldly life is like the state of rain, etc. Thus, the appearance of the people of the world in their prevailing conditions – as indicated by their diversity by saying “play and amusement and so on” – was likened to the appearance of rain that grows plants, then turns yellow, then becomes debris. That is, it is a comparison of the appearance of these prevailing conditions in people’s lives to that of a new plant that rain caused to grow and flourish, then eventually withered and disintegrated. The intended meaning of the analogy is the plant itself, but the analogy began with rain as a representation of the principles of the analogy in order to highlight the places of beauty in it, because the one making the analogy gains beauty from it.
It is said that the word “الكُفَّار” here refers to farmers, which is the plural of “كافِر”, meaning the one who cultivates the land, because they cover the seeds with soil, which is what “كافِر” means. The reason why this term is used here is to indicate the contrast with the disbelievers who reject Allah because farmers are the ones who are most amazed by the growth of their crops. Allah says in Surat Al-Fath: “يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ The farmers will be pleased” [Quran 48:29]. This is meant to emphasize the contrast with the disbelievers who are more amazed by the pleasures of this world, as they have no hope in anything beyond it.
Some also say that the term “الكُفَّار” refers to those who disbelieve in Allah, because they are more interested in worldly activities than religious ones. Therefore, mentioning the disbelievers in this context implies that the metaphor being used is directed towards them primarily.
Yet others say that the term “الكُفَّار” is specifically used here because disbelievers are more fascinated by the beauties and pleasures of this world, which is where they work and toil, and they are more interested in its adornments and what it contains, unlike the believers.
The phrase “ثُمَّ then” was used to indicate a gradual decline, because the yellowing of plants is the most significant indication of their impending demise, and this is the most important aspect of abstaining from worldly pleasures. And he was described as turning yellow with the letter “ف fa” because the yellowing of the plant is similar to its withering. However, it was not said ” فيَصْفَرُّ then it turns yellow” to indicate that its yellowing is not comparable to its liveliness and vitality, but rather what follows is its appearance as such. And “ثمَّ then” was used to connect it to being rubble, as a gradual decline is the greatest indication of impending demise, and this is the most important aspect of abstaining from worldly pleasures.
And in this is a beautiful connection, when He (swt) said here “ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا then it becomes debris,” and he said in Surat Al-Zumar: “ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَامًا then He makes it debris” [Quran 39:21]. The reason for this is that the actions that are connected – meaning: referred to – by this verb in Surat Al-Zumar are the actions of Allah, because He said: “ أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَامًا Have you not seen that Allah sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colors; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them debris” [Quran 39:21]. So, it is connected to His saying: ” ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعًا then He produces thereby crops,” and the one in Surat Al-Hadid, the preceding verb is not attributed to Allah, so what comes after it is attributed to Him. Rather, it is ” كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ. Like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes debris” [Quran 57:20]. Therefore, it is not suitable everywhere except what has been mentioned regarding the selection of speech.
Allah has given the example of worldly life as stages of youth, maturity, and old age leading to destruction, as well as stages of weakness, weariness, and suffering, and the ebb and flow of fortunes, like the stages of cultivation. All these passing phenomena culminate in destruction, and a person’s stages in this life are like child’s play, as is evident from reflection. Although this simile is a composite analogy of one thing to another, it is useful for distinguishing and comparing the parts of the entity that are similar to the parts of the entity to which it is compared. The first stages of life and their progression are likened to the growth of plants after rain. Those who benefit from the world are likened to farmers, and the culmination of life and the strength of old age are likened to the ripening of crops. The beginning of old age, then senility, and the weakening of a person’s ability to work, as well as the trade of merchants and the farming of peasants, are likened to the withering of crops and their preparation for destruction. The passing of a person’s strength and wealth is likened to the breaking of the crops. From this, it is understood that the conditions of life are intended for the sake of God, and are a matter of the Hereafter, and that this simile is to be understood only in its apparent sense.
He said: ” وَفِي الْآَخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion?” Mentioning the state of worldly life necessitated mentioning its counterpart, as is the custom of the Quran. The use of “punishment” and “forgiveness” and “approval” is for the purpose of warning and urging, as indicated by the context. That is why the recipients of punishment, forgiveness, and approval are not specified.
“مَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ forgiveness from Allah and approval” allude to blessings, it is because blessings can be categorized into two types: material and spiritual. Forgiveness and approval are the origins of spiritual blessings, as Allah says, “وَرِضْوَانٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ And approval from Allah is greater” [Quran 9:72]. They also imply material blessings, for when the bodies of the people of Paradise are assembled, and their souls are placed in them, the two blessings are appropriate for them to increase their enjoyment. The pleasure of the bodies is only a means to the pleasure of the souls, as they are the ones who perceive pleasure. The approval of Allah implies giving them the utmost satisfaction and forgiveness is necessary to overlook anything that might hinder any part of that.
وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ And the mention of ‘and what is the life of this world except for the enjoyment of delusion’ is a way to draw attention and warn of the severe punishment in the Hereafter for those who prioritize worldly pleasures over spiritual pursuits. Adding ‘enjoyment’ to ‘delusion’ is a common occurrence, as most people seek worldly pleasures and only actions that lead to success in the Hereafter truly matter. Adding ‘enjoyment’ to ‘delusion’ implies that the pleasure one gains is fleeting and ultimately illusory, tempting observers to become attached to it.