Tafseer of The Prophets · Al-Anbiyaa · 21:16
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, Exalted is His remembrance, says: وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالأرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا (And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them) except as a proof against you, O mankind, and so that you might take a lesson from it and thereby come to know that the One who has ordered and created all of this resembles nothing, and that divinity (ulūhiyya) belongs to Him alone, and that worship is fitting for none other than Him. He did not create this as idle play and amusement.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His words وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالأرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لاعِبِينَ (And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in play): he said: We did not create them as idle amusement and as falsehood.
