Tafseer of The Spider · Al-Ankaboot · 29:64
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.
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.
The explanation of the statement of the Exalted: وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ (64) (And this worldly life is nothing but diversion and play; and indeed, the abode of the Hereafter is truly the [real] life, if only they knew. (29:64))
The Exalted, whose remembrance is lofty, says: وَمَا هَذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا (and this worldly life), which these polytheists (mushrikīn) enjoy, إِلا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ, He says: is nothing but the diverting of the souls with that which they enjoy, and it then swiftly perishes, without continuance and without duration. وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ, He says: and indeed, in the Hereafter is the abiding life that knows no perishing, no interruption, and no death with it.
As Bishr related to us; he said: Yazīd related to us; he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ — a life in which there is no death.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me; he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us; he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me; they both said: al-Ḥasan related to us; he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement: لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ — he said: in it there is no death.
ʿAlī related to me; he said: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us; he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ — he says: abiding.
And His statement لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ, He says: if these polytheists (mushrikīn) knew that it is so, they would desist from their denial of Allah and from their ascribing of partners to other than Him in His worship; but they do not know that.
