6:32

وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَعِبٞ وَلَهۡوٞۖ وَلَلدَّارُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ

Wama alhayatu alddunya illa laAAibun walahwun walalddaru alakhirati khayrun lillatheena yattaqoona afala taAAqiloona

And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion; but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason?

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ(is) the life
  3. ٱلدُّنۡيَآ(of) the world
  4. إِلَّاexcept
  5. لَعِبٞa play
  6. وَلَهۡوٞۖand amusement
  7. وَلَلدَّارُbut the home
  8. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ(of) the Hereafter
  9. خَيۡرٞ(is) best
  10. لِّلَّذِينَfor those who
  11. يَتَّقُونَۚ(are) God conscious
  12. أَفَلَاThen not
  13. تَعۡقِلُونَ(will) you reason
Al-An'am · 6:32Makkah

Most of this life is play. The next home is better.

Keeping the game in its place


Two homes
this lifemostly play and amusement
compared with
the next homebetter for the mindful
What it asks
life is meaninglessso why bother
will you not reason?put each in its place

Ibn Kathir says this means most of worldly life is play and amusement, while the home of the Hereafter is far better for those with taqwa. The verse closes with a question to the Makkans, and to anyone: will you not use your mind?

Fantasy football, the new series, the sale on trainers. None of it is evil. The problem is when the game becomes the whole point. Enjoy the play, but do not mistake it for the home you are going to.

This life is the main event.

This life has play in it, but the real home is ahead.

Try this

Swap 15 minutes of scrolling today for something that builds your next home.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 6:31)

They indeed are losers who denied their meeting with Allah, until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is upon them, and they say: "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it," while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear (31)And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the abode of the Hereafter for those have Taqwa. Will you not then understand (32)

Allah describes the regret of the disbelievers when facing Him, and their disappointment at the commencement, along with their sorrow for not performing good deeds and for their evil deeds.

This is why Allah said,

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَتْهُمُ السَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً قَالُوا يَا حَسْرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِيهَا

(until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is upon them, and they say: "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it.")

It' here refers to either the life of this world, or the affairs of the Hereafter. Allah's statement,

وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

(while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear!)

Asbat said that As-Suddi said, "Upon entering his grave, every unjust person will meet a man with an ugly face, dark skin, awful odor, wearing dirty clothes, who will enter his grave with him. When the unjust person sees him, he will say, 'How ugly is your face!' He will reply, 'So was your work, it was ugly.' The unjust person will say, 'How foul is the odor coming from you!' He will reply, 'Such was the case with your work, it stunk.' The unjust person will say, 'How dirty are your clothes!' He will reply, 'And your work too was dirty.' The unjust person will ask, 'Who are you?' He will reply, 'I am your deeds.' So he will remain with the unjust person in his grave, and when he is resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, his companion will say to him, 'In the life of the world, I used to carry you because you followed desire and lust. Today, you carry me.' So he will ride on the unjust person's back and lead him until he enters the Fire. So Allah said,

وَهُمْ يَحْمِلُونَ أَوْزَارَهُمْ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمْ أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ

(while they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear!)[6:31]" Allah's statement,

وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ

(And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement.) means, most of it is play and amusement,

وَلَلدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

(But far better is the abode of the Hereafter for those who have Taqwa. Will you not then understand?)