Surah Al-Hadid 57:20

سُورَةُ الحَدِيدِ · Medinan · Verse 20 of 29

ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ وَزِينَةٌۭ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّۭا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمًۭا ۖ وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ ۚ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ

Translation

Bear in mind that the present life is just a game, a diversion, an attraction, a cause of boasting among you, of rivalry in wealth and children. It is like plants that spring up after the rain: their growth at first delights the sowers, but then you see them wither away, turn yellow, and become stubble. There is terrible punishment in the next life as well as forgiveness and approval from God; the life of this world is only an illusory pleasure.

English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.

Meaning and reflection

Wording

This profound verse opens with Allah's direct command, "ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟" (I'lamoo), meaning "Know!", immediately inviting us to pay close attention to a crucial truth about worldly life. It isn't just an observation, but a directive to truly grasp and internalize what follows.

The Stages of Worldly Life

The verse describes worldly life using five distinct terms: "لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ وَزِينَةٌۭ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَٰثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ" (play, amusement, adornment, boasting among yourselves, and rivalry in wealth and children). Ibn Ashur beautifully highlights that these aren't just random descriptions; they echo the successive stages of a person's life. "لَعِبٌ" (la'ib, play) reflects childhood, where pursuits are often without deep purpose. "وَلَهْوٌۭ" (lahw, amusement) relates to youth, seeking pleasure and distraction. "وَزِينَةٌۭ" (zeenah, adornment) marks young adulthood, a time of beautifying oneself and one's surroundings. "وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ" (tafākhur baynakum, boasting among yourselves) comes with maturity and status, as people compete and take pride in their achievements. Finally, "وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَٰدِ" (takāthur fil-amwāl wal-awlād, rivalry in wealth and children) often characterizes later life, seeking to accumulate more and expand one's legacy.

Ibn Ashur also points out the use of "أَنَّمَا" (annama), which denotes restriction, meaning worldly life *is* these things. However, he clarifies it's an "assertive restriction" (qasr iddi'ā'ī), reflecting how *most people* prioritize these aspects, rather than implying that life holds no other value. It’s a powerful warning against letting these fleeting aspects define our existence.

The Fading Parable

To underscore this transience, the verse provides a vivid parable: "كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّۭا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمًۭا" (like a rain whose vegetation delights the farmers, then it withers and you see it yellowed, then it becomes debris). The choice of "غَيْثٍ" (ghayth) - a beneficial rain that brings forth life - as the starting point, helps paint a complete picture of beauty from its inception, as Ibn Ashur notes.

A particularly illuminating word choice is "ٱلْكُفَّارَ" (al-kuffār). While it can mean "disbelievers," it also literally means "farmers" because they "cover" (kafarū) the seeds with earth. Ibn Ashur and al-Razi both highlight this double meaning, a rhetorical device (tawriya). It implies that both farmers are delighted by the growth, but especially the disbelievers, who, having no hope beyond this life, become utterly captivated by its fleeting beauty. The sequence of change, marked by "ثُمَّ" (thumma, then) and "فَ" (fa, so/then), describes the plant's stages: from flourishing, to "يَهِيجُ" (yahīj, thickening or stirring as it ripens, as Ibn Ashur clarifies, rather than just drying), then to "مُصْفَرًّۭا" (musfarran, yellowed), and finally "حُطَٰمًۭا" (hutāman, fragmented debris). This progression vividly mirrors human life's vibrant bloom, gradual decline, and eventual end.

The Ultimate Reality

The verse then presents the stark contrast: "وَفِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌۭ" (And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval). The contrast between the fleeting dunya and the eternal, decisive outcomes of the Akhirah couldn't be clearer. The mention of "وَرِضْوَانٌۭ" (wa riḍwān, and approval/pleasure) from Allah is especially significant, as Ibn Ashur describes it as the essence of spiritual bliss, an even greater reward than material blessings.

The verse concludes with a final emphatic statement: "وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ" (And worldly life is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion). "مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ" (matā' al-ghurūr) literally means "the provision of deception," where "غُرُورِ" (ghurūr, deception) implies that it appears beneficial but ultimately harms. Ibn Ashur explains this describes something that seems good but is actually detrimental, leading one astray if one focuses solely on it. This ending serves as a powerful reminder to see worldly life for what it truly is – a temporary provision that can delude us, unless we use it as a means to the lasting realities of the Hereafter.

Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn

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