ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌۭ وَلَهْوٌۭ وَزِينَةٌۭ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ ۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ ٱلْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّۭا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَـٰمًۭا ۖ وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ ۚ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ
Know that this worldly life is no more than play amusement luxury mutual boasting and competition in wealth and children. This is like rain that causes plants to grow, to the delight of the planters. But later the plants dry up and you see them wither, then they are reduced to chaff. And in the Hereafter there will be either severe punishment or forgiveness and pleasure of Allah, whereas the life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment
Holy Quran 57.20
The tafsir mentions –
From the inception to the end of life, man leads his life in the following order: la’ib [play], lahw [amusement], zinah [show of beauty], tarakhur [exchange of boastful claims] and takathur [competition of increase in wealth and children].
The word la’ib (play) refers to a play that has no purpose at all, like the movements of little children.
The lahw [amusement or pastime] is a game or sport meant initially for amusement and enjoyment, but it may serve also some other subsidiary purpose.
The early stage of one’s life is spent in play and amusement. Then comes a stage in the youth when one wants to adorn the body and dress and to show their beauty, which is described in the verse as ‘zinah’.
Then comes a stage in which one is tempted to prove the superiority over the mates and to make boastful claims in wealth and children.
SubhanAllah! broadly different phases of life with different attractions loaded with delusional enjoyments leading to the distractions from the ultimate purpose of life!
