Surah 47. Muhammad, Ayah 36
| إِنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ ۚ وَإِنْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَا يَسْأَلْكُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ |
| Transliteration | : | 'inna-maa al- h.ayaah ad- dunyaa lacib wa- lahw wa- 'in tu'mino wa- tattaqo yu'ti -kum 'ujor -kum wa- laa yas'al -kum amwaal -kum |
| Pickthall | : | The life of the world is but a sport and a pastime. And if ye believe and ward off (evil), He will give you your wages, and will not ask of you your worldly wealth. |
| Asad | : | The life of this world is but a play and a passing delight: but if you believe [in God] and are conscious of Him, He will grant you your deserts. And withal, He does not demand of you [to sacrifice in His cause all of] your possessions:41 |
| Malik | : | The life of this world is but play and amusement. If you believe and follow the way of piety, He will grant you your rewards and will not ask you to give up your possessions. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe land guard against evil He will grant you your recompense and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions. 4860 4861 |
Note - 41Although the life of this world is "but a play and a
passing delight", God does not want to deprive the
believers of its rightful enjoyment: and so He expects
them to sacrifice only a small part of their possessions
in His cause. This passage evidently foreshadows the
imposition of the obligatory annual tax called zakah
("the purifying dues"), amounting to about 22 percent of
a Muslims's income and property, as pointed out by most
of the classical commentators in connection with the
above verse (hence my interpolation). The proceeds of
this tax are to be utilized in what the Qur'an describes
as "the cause [lit., "way"] of God", i.e., for the
defence and propagation of the Faith and the welfare of
the community; and its spiritual purpose is the
"purification" of a Muslim's possessions from the blemish
of greed and selfishness. (It is to be noted that the
payment of zakah was made obligatory at the very
beginning of the Medina period, that is, at approximately
the same time as the revelation of the present surah.)
|
Note - 4860Cf. vi. 32, and n. 855; and xxix. 64, and n. 3497.
Amusement and play are not bad things in themselves. As
preparations for the more serious life, they have their
value. But if we concentrate on them, and neglect the
business of life, we cannot prosper. So we must use our
life in this world as a preparation for the next life.
|
Note - 4861Complete self-sacrifice, if voluntarily offered, has a
meaning: it means that the person's devotion is
exclusively and completely for the Cause. But no law or
rule can demand it. And a mere offer to kill yourself has
no meaning. You should be ready to take risks to your
life in fighting for the Cause, but you should aim at
life, not death. If you live, you should be ready to
place your substance and your acquisitions at the
disposal of the Cause. But it is not reasonable to
pauperise yourself and become a hanger-on for the Cause.
Moreover, the inborn tendency to self-preservation in an
average man would lead to concealment and niggardliness
if all were asked for the Cause, by Law, and there would
further be a feeling of bitterness and rebellion.
|
Share your thoughts about this with others by posting a comment. Visit our FAQ for some ideas.
Filter Comments 
 |
Although the life of this world is "but a play and a passing delight", God does not want to deprive the believers of its rightful enjoyment: and so He expects them to sacrifice only a small part of their possessions in His cause. This passage evidently foreshadows the imposition of the obligatory annual tax called zakah ("the purifying dues"), amounting to about 22 percent of a Muslims's income and property, as pointed out by most of the classical commentators in connection with the above verse (hence my interpolation). The proceeds of this tax are to be utilized in what the Qur'an describes as "the cause [lit., "way"] of God", i.e., for the defence and propagation of the Faith and the welfare of the community; and its spiritual purpose is the "purification" of a Muslim's possessions from the blemish of greed and selfishness. (It is to be noted that the payment of zakah was made obligatory at the very beginning of the Medina period, that is, at approximately the same time as the revelation of the present surah.) |
| |
Cf. vi. 32, and n. 855; and xxix. 64, and n. 3497. Amusement and play are not bad things in themselves. As preparations for the more serious life, they have their value. But if we concentrate on them, and neglect the business of life, we cannot prosper. So we must use our life in this world as a preparation for the next life. |
| |
Complete self-sacrifice, if voluntarily offered, has a meaning: it means that the person's devotion is exclusively and completely for the Cause. But no law or rule can demand it. And a mere offer to kill yourself has no meaning. You should be ready to take risks to your life in fighting for the Cause, but you should aim at life, not death. If you live, you should be ready to place your substance and your acquisitions at the disposal of the Cause. But it is not reasonable to pauperise yourself and become a hanger-on for the Cause. Moreover, the inborn tendency to self-preservation in an average man would lead to concealment and niggardliness if all were asked for the Cause, by Law, and there would further be a feeling of bitterness and rebellion. |
