سُوْرَةُ الْحَدِيْدِ
Surah Al-Hadid (57) — Ayah 20
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَـٰمًا ۖ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ ۚ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ﴿20﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. (It is) as the likeness of vegetation after rain, thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers - evil-doers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allâh and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers - good-doers). And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟
iʿ'lamū
Know
أَنَّمَا
annamā
that
ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ
l-ḥayatu
the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
لَعِبٌۭ
laʿibun
(is) play
وَلَهْوٌۭ
walahwun
and amusement
وَزِينَةٌۭ
wazīnatun
and adornment
وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ
watafākhurun
and boasting
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
among you
وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ
watakāthurun
and competition in increase
فِى
fī
of
ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ
l-amwāli
the wealth
وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ ۖ
wal-awlādi
and the children
كَمَثَلِ
kamathali
like (the) example
غَيْثٍ
ghaythin
(of) a rain
أَعْجَبَ
aʿjaba
pleases
ٱلْكُفَّارَ
l-kufāra
the tillers
نَبَاتُهُۥ
nabātuhu
its growth
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
يَهِيجُ
yahīju
it dries
فَتَرَىٰهُ
fatarāhu
and you see it
مُصْفَرًّۭا
muṣ'farran
turning yellow
ثُمَّ
thumma
then
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
becomes
حُطَـٰمًۭا ۖ
ḥuṭāman
debris
وَفِى
wafī
And in
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
l-ākhirati
the Hereafter
عَذَابٌۭ
ʿadhābun
(is) a punishment
شَدِيدٌۭ
shadīdun
severe
وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ
wamaghfiratun
and forgiveness
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ ۚ
wariḍ'wānun
and Pleasure
وَمَا
wamā
But not
ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ
l-ḥayatu
(is) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَآ
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَتَـٰعُ
matāʿu
(the) enjoyment
ٱلْغُرُورِ
l-ghurūri
(of) delusion
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 20) ➊ {اِعْلَمُوْۤا:} The connection of this verse with the previous verses is that the cause of hypocrisy, avoidance of striving in the way of Allah, and reluctance to spend wealth is the love of worldly life. Therefore, Allah Almighty has described the reality of worldly life.
➋ By { اَنَّمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا: ’’ الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘} is meant those deeds of a person which he does in this life only for the benefits to be gained in this world. Otherwise, in this life, he can also attain eternal happiness in the Hereafter through righteous deeds, as He said: « مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهٗ حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً وَ لَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ اَجْرَهُمْ بِاَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوْا يَعْمَلُوْنَ » [ النحل : ۹۷ ] "Whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and he is a believer, then surely We will give him a good, pure life, and surely We will give them their reward in return for the best of what they used to do."
➌ { لَعِبٌ وَّ لَهْوٌ:} For its explanation, see the commentary of Surah Al-Ankabut (64).
➍ { وَ زِيْنَةٌ وَّ تَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ تَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَوْلَادِ:} This is the condition of those deprived of faith, the worldly people, as opposed to the true and sincere believers, i.e., the Siddiqeen and Shuhada. Allah Almighty has mentioned all their desires and interests in these five things. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "A person, in the beginning of life, wants play, then amusement, then adornment, then to increase his status and gain fame, and when death approaches, he worries about wealth and children so that his household remains after him and his children live in comfort. All this is a means of deception; ahead, something else will be of use (faith and righteous deeds), this will not be of any use." (Mawdhih with adaptation)
➎ {كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ اَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهٗ …:’’ غَيْثٍ ‘‘} Rain, as He said: « وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوْا » [ الشورٰی : ۲۸ ] "And He is the One Who sends down rain after they have despaired." By {’’ الْكُفَّارَ ‘‘} is meant here the farmers, as He said elsewhere: « يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ » [ الفتح : ۲۹ ] "It pleases the farmers." Because the meaning of kufr is to cover, and the farmer hides the seed in the earth. For the explanation of the other words of the verse and the parable, see the commentary of Surah Yunus (24), Az-Zumar (21), and Surah Al-Kahf (45). Also, see the commentary of Surah Aal-e-Imran (15, 14). Some commentators have taken {’’ الْكُفَّارَ ‘‘} to mean the real disbelievers. According to them, although the crops that grow from rain please both believers and disbelievers, the disbelievers are mentioned specifically because they are more pleased with it, as all their happiness in life is invested in the world.
➏ {وَ فِي الْاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌ وَّ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَ رِضْوَانٌ:} That is, it is not just that the worldly life ends and one is freed, but the real matter is what comes after that—the Hereafter and its eternal life—where one will inevitably face one of two things: on one side, there will be severe punishment (as a recompense for such a life of heedlessness), and on the other, Allah's forgiveness and His immense pleasure. {’’ رِضْوَانٌ ‘‘} In the infinitive form, there is an intensified meaning.
➐ { وَ مَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَاۤ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُوْرِ:} That is, whoever made all his efforts for the sake of building worldly life has fallen into deception, because whatever he earned ended with the end of worldly life, and nothing remained for him in the Hereafter. However, for those people, worldly life is not a deception who made it a means to attain the Hereafter, because their deeds remain even after the world perishes, as He said: « اَلْمَالُ وَ الْبَنُوْنَ زِيْنَةُ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَّ خَيْرٌ اَمَلًا» [ الکھف : ۴۶ ] "Wealth and sons are the adornment of the worldly life, but the enduring good deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope."
➋ By { اَنَّمَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا: ’’ الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا ‘‘} is meant those deeds of a person which he does in this life only for the benefits to be gained in this world. Otherwise, in this life, he can also attain eternal happiness in the Hereafter through righteous deeds, as He said: « مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّنْ ذَكَرٍ اَوْ اُنْثٰى وَ هُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهٗ حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً وَ لَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ اَجْرَهُمْ بِاَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوْا يَعْمَلُوْنَ » [ النحل : ۹۷ ] "Whoever does a righteous deed, whether male or female, and he is a believer, then surely We will give him a good, pure life, and surely We will give them their reward in return for the best of what they used to do."
➌ { لَعِبٌ وَّ لَهْوٌ:} For its explanation, see the commentary of Surah Al-Ankabut (64).
➍ { وَ زِيْنَةٌ وَّ تَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ تَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَوْلَادِ:} This is the condition of those deprived of faith, the worldly people, as opposed to the true and sincere believers, i.e., the Siddiqeen and Shuhada. Allah Almighty has mentioned all their desires and interests in these five things. Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "A person, in the beginning of life, wants play, then amusement, then adornment, then to increase his status and gain fame, and when death approaches, he worries about wealth and children so that his household remains after him and his children live in comfort. All this is a means of deception; ahead, something else will be of use (faith and righteous deeds), this will not be of any use." (Mawdhih with adaptation)
➎ {كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ اَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهٗ …:’’ غَيْثٍ ‘‘} Rain, as He said: « وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا قَنَطُوْا » [ الشورٰی : ۲۸ ] "And He is the One Who sends down rain after they have despaired." By {’’ الْكُفَّارَ ‘‘} is meant here the farmers, as He said elsewhere: « يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ » [ الفتح : ۲۹ ] "It pleases the farmers." Because the meaning of kufr is to cover, and the farmer hides the seed in the earth. For the explanation of the other words of the verse and the parable, see the commentary of Surah Yunus (24), Az-Zumar (21), and Surah Al-Kahf (45). Also, see the commentary of Surah Aal-e-Imran (15, 14). Some commentators have taken {’’ الْكُفَّارَ ‘‘} to mean the real disbelievers. According to them, although the crops that grow from rain please both believers and disbelievers, the disbelievers are mentioned specifically because they are more pleased with it, as all their happiness in life is invested in the world.
➏ {وَ فِي الْاٰخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيْدٌ وَّ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَ رِضْوَانٌ:} That is, it is not just that the worldly life ends and one is freed, but the real matter is what comes after that—the Hereafter and its eternal life—where one will inevitably face one of two things: on one side, there will be severe punishment (as a recompense for such a life of heedlessness), and on the other, Allah's forgiveness and His immense pleasure. {’’ رِضْوَانٌ ‘‘} In the infinitive form, there is an intensified meaning.
➐ { وَ مَا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَاۤ اِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُوْرِ:} That is, whoever made all his efforts for the sake of building worldly life has fallen into deception, because whatever he earned ended with the end of worldly life, and nothing remained for him in the Hereafter. However, for those people, worldly life is not a deception who made it a means to attain the Hereafter, because their deeds remain even after the world perishes, as He said: « اَلْمَالُ وَ الْبَنُوْنَ زِيْنَةُ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْبٰقِيٰتُ الصّٰلِحٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَّ خَيْرٌ اَمَلًا» [ الکھف : ۴۶ ] "Wealth and sons are the adornment of the worldly life, but the enduring good deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope."
