Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 29 Al-'Ankabut, Ayat 64-69

وَمَا هٰذِهِ الۡحَيٰوةُ الدُّنۡيَاۤ اِلَّا لَهۡوٌ وَّلَعِبٌ​ؕ وَاِنَّ الدَّارَ الۡاٰخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الۡحَـيَوَانُ​ۘ لَوۡ كَانُوۡا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿29:64﴾ فَاِذَا رَكِبُوۡا فِى الۡفُلۡكِ دَعَوُا اللّٰهَ مُخۡلِصِيۡنَ لَـهُ الدِّيۡنَ ۚ فَلَمَّا نَجّٰٮهُمۡ اِلَى الۡبَـرِّ اِذَا هُمۡ يُشۡرِكُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿29:65﴾ لِيَكۡفُرُوۡا بِمَاۤ اٰتَيۡنٰهُمۡ ۙۚ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُوۡا​فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  ﴿29:66﴾ اَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا اَنَّا جَعَلۡنَا حَرَمًا اٰمِنًا وَّيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنۡ حَوۡلِهِمۡ​ ؕ اَفَبِالۡبَاطِلِ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَبِنِعۡمَةِ اللّٰهِ يَكۡفُرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿29:67﴾ وَمَنۡ اَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنِ افۡتَرٰى عَلَى اللّٰهِ كَذِبًا اَوۡ كَذَّبَ بِالۡحَـقِّ لَـمَّا جَآءَهٗ​ؕ اَلَيۡسَ فِىۡ جَهَـنَّمَ مَثۡوًى لِّلۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿29:68﴾ وَالَّذِيۡنَ جَاهَدُوۡا فِيۡنَا لَنَهۡدِيَنَّهُمۡ سُبُلَنَا ​ؕ وَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَمَعَ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَ‏ ﴿29:69﴾

(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 (29:65) When they embark in the ships they call upon Allah, consecrating their faith to Him. But when He rescues them and brings them to land, they suddenly begin to associate others with Allah in His Divinity (29:66) that they may be ungrateful for the rescue that We granted them, and that they may revel in the pleasures (of the present life).104 Soon they shall come to know. (29:67) Do they not see that We have given them a sanctuary of safety whereas people around them are being snatched away?105 So, do they believe in falsehood and ungratefully deny Allah's bounties? (29:68) Who can be more unjust than he who foists a lie on Allah or gives the lie to the Truth after it has come to him?106 Is Hell not the resort of the unbelievers? (29:69) As for those who strive in Our cause, We shall surely guide them to Our Ways.107 Indeed Allah is with those who do good.

Notes

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 he 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 some 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.”

104. For explanation, see (E.Ns 29 and 41 of Surah AlAnaam); (E.Ns 29 and 31 of Surah Yunus) and (E.N. 84 of Surah Bani Israil).

105. That is, if the city of Makkah, in whose surroundings they enjoy perfect safety and security, had been made a sacred place by some Lat or Hubal, was it possible for a god or goddess to have secured this place against all sorts of mischief and violence for 2,500 years or so, in a striferidden land like Arabia? Who could then keep and maintain its sacredness and sanctity except Us?

106. That is, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) has made a claim to prophethood, and you have denied him. Now there can be only two alternatives: If the Prophet (peace be upon him) has made a false claim in the name of Allah, there can be no one more wicked than him, and if you have belied a true Prophet (peace be upon him), there can be no one more wicked than you.”

107. The word mujahadah has already been explained in (E.N: 8) above. There it was said that a person who exerts will exert for his own good (Ayat 6). Here it is being reassured that Allah does not leave alone those who strive in His cause sincerely, even at the risk of a conflict with the entire world, but He helps and guides them and opens for them ways towards Himself. He teaches them at every step the way of winning His approval and goodwill and He shows them the light at every turning point to discriminate between the right way and the wrong ways of life. In short, Allah helps and succors and guides them according to their sincerity and intensity of desire for goodness.