(… وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ) (And the worldly life is not but amusement and diversion;…): In the Arabic Language, the difference between (amusement) and (diversion) is that amusement does not distract a person from the necessary, whereas diversion does. For example, playing football is a type of amusement. However, there are rules for the game, such as there being an arrival time of two hours before the game for spectators so that they can sit in an orderly manner in the stands, there being a referee to judge between the two teams and there being penalty kicks. So, the amusement here will be played according to the rules which have been laid down for it. In addition, amusement does not distract a person from his responsibilities or tasks. Diversion, on the other hand, is not subjected to anything, and it will not gain a person anything from Allah (swt). Furthermore, it distracts him from the responsibilities he has been tasked with. So, we can clearly see that the life of this world is amusement and diversion, as the Messenger of Allah (saws) said:

“What have I to do with the world! I am not in the world but as a rider seeking shade under a tree, then he departs and leaves it.”[1]

This Prophetic Hadith accurately depicts the meaning of the verse. We human beings are passing by a land of tests. It is not a land to permanently stay in, but one which we will just pass by. So, it is either we obtain from it what would be of benefit for our hereafter, or we could build our graves and what would come after it, or it could bring bad consequences for us.

(  وَلَلدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ… ) (…but the home of the Hereafter is best for those who fear Allah, so will you not reason?): Here, Allah (swt) says, ‘will you not think with your minds, O people?’ This is because, however long a person’s life might be in this world, it will end. Since you were once born, you will also one day die. ‘Ali (may Allah ennoble his face) used to say:

‘Wretched is the son of Adam. His time of death is concealed, his flaws are hidden, his actions are recorded, he is hurt by bugs, he is killed by a single choke, and he becomes malodorous from sweat. I wonder at how the one whose days eat up a month, whose months eat up a year and whose years eat up his age, can be pleased with this worldly life. And I wonder at how the one whose life leads him to his death and his age leads him to his time of death, can be pleased with his worldly life.’

This matter can be understood through deep thinking and contemplation through the mind. For we can see for ourselves how this worldly life is transient, and that it passes by like the passing of the clouds. And that we will indeed reach that day in which we will face death and subsequently meet Allah (swt) and face the reckoning and punishment.

[1] Sunan at-Tirmidhi: Book of asceticism, Chapter of from it, Hadith No. 2377.