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Surah Al-'Ankabut, Ayah 64 (29:64)

ٱلْعَنْكَبُوت

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلَْٔاخِرَةَ لَهِىَ …

Quran 29:64 is ayah 64 of Surah Al-'Ankabut (“The Spider”), a Meccan surah of 69 ayahs. It is in Juz 21, on page 404 of the Madani Mushaf.

29:64
وَمَاهَٰذِهِٱلْحَيَوٰةُٱلدُّنْيَآإِلَّالَهْوٌوَلَعِبٌ ۚوَإِنَّٱلدَّارَٱلَْٔاخِرَةَلَهِىَٱلْحَيَوَانُ ۚلَوْكَانُوا۟يَعْلَمُونَ٦٤
wamā hādhihi l-ḥayatu l-dun'yā illā lahwun walaʿibun wa-inna l-dāra l-ākhirata lahiya l-ḥayawānu law kānū yaʿlamūna

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.(64)

Word by word

  1. وَمَاwamāAnd not
  2. هَٰذِهِhādhihi(is) this
  3. ٱلْحَيَوٰةُl-ḥayatulife
  4. ٱلدُّنْيَآl-dun'yā(of) the world
  5. إِلَّاillābut
  6. لَهْوٌlahwunamusement
  7. وَلَعِبٌ ۚwalaʿibunand play
  8. وَإِنَّwa-innaAnd indeed
  9. ٱلدَّارَl-dārathe Home
  10. ٱلَْٔاخِرَةَl-ākhirata(of) the Hereafter
  11. لَهِىَlahiyasurely, it
  12. ٱلْحَيَوَانُ ۚl-ḥayawānu(is) the life
  13. لَوْlawif only
  14. كَانُوا۟kānūthey
  15. يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 29:64

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 29:64–66 together.

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 ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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,)

Read the full Surah Al-'Ankabut