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 Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
Know that the life of this world is but play and amusement, adornment and boasting among yourselves, and rivalry in wealth and children. It is like rain whose [growth of] vegetation pleases the farmers; then it flourishes and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter there is severe punishment (as a recompense for such a life of heedlessness) [35], and (for the believers) forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure. And the life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion.
[35]
Comparison Between Human and Plant Life:
In this verse, a comparison is presented between human worldly life and the life of plants, and some commentators have divided this life into four stages to illustrate the comparison between these two types of life. For example, a person spends his childhood in play and amusement. Then, when youth comes upon him, his favorite occupation becomes adorning and beautifying himself so that, if he is a man, he becomes the center of attention for women, and if she is a woman, she becomes a source of attraction for men. Then, when he passes through this age, he develops a desire to become something like “there is none like me,” and in the last stage of life, his greed continues to grow. He no longer suffices with the well-being of his own self but begins to toil for the sake of his children, until death overtakes him. The same is the case with plants. They are born, delight their farmers or owners, and many expectations are attached to them. Then comes the period of their youth, and they captivate every heart, but soon after, old age comes upon them, and they begin to turn yellow. The end result is that part of them becomes food for animals, and the rest is trampled underfoot. The purpose of this example is to explain that just as the spring of plants is a temporary thing and so is their autumn, likewise, the prosperities of human life are also temporary things, and so are poverty and hardships. In contrast, the spring of Paradise and all its blessings are everlasting and permanent, and its autumn, that is, Hell and its torments and hardships, are also everlasting and permanent. Therefore, a person’s effort should be that instead of seeking temporary and unstable things, he should make everlasting and permanent things his goal and strive for them with all his effort. And whoever becomes lost in the attractions of the world and becomes intoxicated by its spring has fallen into a great deception. True wisdom is that a person should not consider the life of this world as mere play and amusement, but should regard every moment of it as precious and strive to improve his Hereafter.
[35]
Comparison Between Human and Plant Life:
In this verse, a comparison is presented between human worldly life and the life of plants, and some commentators have divided this life into four stages to illustrate the comparison between these two types of life. For example, a person spends his childhood in play and amusement. Then, when youth comes upon him, his favorite occupation becomes adorning and beautifying himself so that, if he is a man, he becomes the center of attention for women, and if she is a woman, she becomes a source of attraction for men. Then, when he passes through this age, he develops a desire to become something like “there is none like me,” and in the last stage of life, his greed continues to grow. He no longer suffices with the well-being of his own self but begins to toil for the sake of his children, until death overtakes him. The same is the case with plants. They are born, delight their farmers or owners, and many expectations are attached to them. Then comes the period of their youth, and they captivate every heart, but soon after, old age comes upon them, and they begin to turn yellow. The end result is that part of them becomes food for animals, and the rest is trampled underfoot. The purpose of this example is to explain that just as the spring of plants is a temporary thing and so is their autumn, likewise, the prosperities of human life are also temporary things, and so are poverty and hardships. In contrast, the spring of Paradise and all its blessings are everlasting and permanent, and its autumn, that is, Hell and its torments and hardships, are also everlasting and permanent. Therefore, a person’s effort should be that instead of seeking temporary and unstable things, he should make everlasting and permanent things his goal and strive for them with all his effort. And whoever becomes lost in the attractions of the world and becomes intoxicated by its spring has fallen into a great deception. True wisdom is that a person should not consider the life of this world as mere play and amusement, but should regard every moment of it as precious and strive to improve his Hereafter.
