Quran Universe
29:64

وَمَا هَٰذِهِ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا لَهۡوٞ وَلَعِبٞۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ لَهِيَ ٱلۡحَيَوَانُۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

Wama hathihi alhayatu alddunya illa lahwun walaAAibun wainna alddara alakhirata lahiya alhayawanu law kanoo yaAAlamoona

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.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. هَٰذِهِ(is) this
  3. ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُlife
  4. ٱلدُّنۡيَآ(of) the world
  5. إِلَّاbut
  6. لَهۡوٞamusement
  7. وَلَعِبٞۚand play
  8. وَإِنَّAnd indeed
  9. ٱلدَّارَthe Home
  10. ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ(of) the Hereafter
  11. لَهِيَsurely,it
  12. ٱلۡحَيَوَانُۚ(is) the life
  13. لَوۡif only
  14. كَانُواْthey
  15. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
Al-'Ankabut · 29:64Makkah

This life is play. The next one is real life.

What lasts against what passes

Two homes
this worldamusement and playends soon
the Hereafterlife that never ends
Which is real
this is real lifethe rest is a story
that is real lifeif only they knew

Ibn Kathir explains how small and short this world is, soon to end, nothing more than play. The Hereafter is the true everlasting life. If people really knew, he says, they would prefer what lasts over what passes away.

You lose an evening to a game, or a show, or an argument in the comments. It felt huge in the moment. Next morning you cannot remember why. That is the verse in miniature. Much of what grips you now will look like that from the Hereafter.

What happens now is what really matters.

Now is the game. What comes after is the life.

Try this

Pick one hour today you would usually spend on play and give ten minutes of it to something lasting.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

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 (64)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 (65)So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment, but they will come to know (66)

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

وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ 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 كَانُوا 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 رَكِبُوا فِي الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُا 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 الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ 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 and I will find him kind and merciful." And this is what indeed did happen.

لِيَكْفُرُوا بِمَا آتَيْنَاهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُوا ۖ 

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