Surah Ankabut >> Currently viewing Surah Ankabut Ayat 64 (29:64)

Surah Ankabut Ayat 64 in Arabic Text

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَهۡوٞ وَلَعِبٞۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ لَهِيَ ٱلۡحَيَوَانُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ
Wa maa haazihil hayaa tud dunyaaa illaa lahwunw-wa la’ib; wa innad Daaral Aakhirata la hiyal ha yawaan; law kaano ya’lamoon

English Translation

Here you can read various translations of verse 64

Sahih International
And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter – that is the [eternal] life, if only they knew.

Yusuf Ali
What is the life of this world but amusement and play? but verily the Home in the Hereafter,- that is life indeed, if they but knew.

Abul Ala Maududi
The present life is nothing but sport and amusement. The true life is in the Abode of the Hereafter; if only they knew.

Muhsin Khan
And this life of the world is only amusement and play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter, that is the life indeed (i.e. the eternal life that will never end), if they but knew

Pickthall
This life of the world is but a pastime and a game. Lo! the home of the Hereafter – that is Life, if they but knew.

Dr. Ghali
And in no way is this present life (Literally: this lowly life, i.e., the life of this world) anything except a diversion and a plaything; and surely the Last Home is indeed the (Eternal) Life, (Literally: the allblessed life) if they know (the Truth).

Abdel Haleem
The life of this world is merely an amusement and a diversion; the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew.

Muhammad Junagarhi
اور دنیا کی یہ زندگانی تو محض کھیل تماشا ہے البتہ آخرت کے گھر کی زندگی ہی حقیقی زندگی ہے، کاش! یہ جانتے ہوتے

Quran 29 Verse 64 Explanation

For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Ankabut ayat 64, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.

Ala-Maududi

(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]


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.”

Ibn-Kathir

64. And this life of the world is only an amusement and a play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter — that is the life indeed, if they but knew. 65. And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others. 66. So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment, but they will come to know.


Allah tells us how insignificant and transient this world is, and how it will soon end. All that it

﴿وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الْحَيَوَانُ﴾

(Verily, the home of the Hereafter — that is the life indeed,) means, the true everlasting life that will never end, but will continue forever and ever.

﴿لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾

(if they but knew.) means, they would prefer that which will last over that which will pass away. Then Allah says that at times of calamity, the idolators call upon Him alone, with no partner or associate, so why do they not do that all the time

﴿فَإِذَا رَكِبُواْ فِى الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ﴾

(And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him only,) This is like the Ayah,

﴿وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الْضُّرُّ فِى الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَن تَدْعُونَ إِلاَ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّـكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ﴾

(And when harm touches you upon the sea, those that you call upon vanish from you except Him (Allah Alone). But when He brings you safely to land, you turn away) (17:67). Allah says here:

﴿فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ﴾

(but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others.) Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from `Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl that when the Messenger of Allah conquered Makkah, he (`Ikrimah) ran away, fleeing from him. When he was on the sea, headed for Ethiopia, the ship started to rock and the crew said: “O people, pray sincerely to your Lord alone, for no one can save us from this except Him.” `Ikrimah said: “By Allah, if there is none who can save us on the sea except Him, then there is none who can save us on land except Him either, O Allah, I vow to You that if I come out of this, I will go and put my hand in the hand of Muhammad and I will find him kind and merciful.” And this is what indeed did happen.

﴿لِيَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُواْ﴾

(So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment,)

Quick navigation links

Surah Ankabut
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 . 15 . 16 . 17 . 18 . 19 . 20 . 21 . 22 . 23 . 24 . 25 . 26 . 27 . 28 . 29 . 30 . 31 . 32 . 33 . 34 . 35 . 36 . 37 . 38 . 39 . 40 . 41 . 42 . 43 . 44 . 45 . 46 . 47 . 48 . 49 . 50 . 51 . 52 . 53 . 54 . 55 . 56 . 57 . 58 . 59 . 60 . 61 . 62 . 63 . 64 . 65 . 66 . 67 . 68 . 69

surah ankabut ayat 64
surah ankabut ayat 65
surah ankabut ayat 66
surah ankabut ayat 67
surah ankabut ayat 68

skip_previous play_arrow skip_next
0:00/0:00
volume_up