وَذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَذَكِّرْ بِهِۦٓ أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِىٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لَّا يُؤْخَذْ مِنْهَآ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُوا۟ بِمَا كَسَبُوا۟ ۖ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْفُرُونَ 70
Translations
And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with it [i.e., the Qur’ān], lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allāh no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it [i.e., that soul]. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.
Transliteration
Wa-dharis-alladhīna-ittakhādhū dīnahum la'iban wa-lahwan wa-gharrat-humul-hayātud-dunyā. Wa-dhakkir bihī an tubsala nafsum bimā kasabat laysa lahā min dūnillāhi wa-liyyun wa-lā shafī'. Wa-in ta'dil kulla 'adlin lā yu'khadhu minhā. Ulā'ika alladhīna ubsilū bimā kasabū. Lahum sharābun min hamīm wa-'adhābun alīm bimā kānū yakfurūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the Prophet to abandon those who have trivialized their faith and become distracted by worldly pleasures. The ayah emphasizes that on the Day of Judgment, such people will be bound by their deeds with no one to intercede for them or protect them from Allah's punishment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, the term 'ubsilū (bound/given over) refers to those who are condemned to punishment, having wasted their opportunity for guidance in this life, and warns that even if they offered every ransom, it would not be accepted.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Meccan period when the Prophet faced rejection from those who mocked Islam and preferred worldly gains. It reflects the broader context of Surah Al-An'am's discussion of those who reject divine signs and turn away from the message, emphasizing the futility of their choices on the Day of Judgment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'The best among you are those who have the best character' (Sahih Bukhari 3331), which contrasts with those described in this ayah who trivialize their religion. Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever takes his religion as a joke, Allah will take away his religion' (related in various collections) directly addresses the warning in this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a serious reminder that treating one's faith carelessly has eternal consequences, and that worldly distractions should not overshadow our commitment to Allah's guidance. For modern readers, it emphasizes the importance of sincere devotion to faith and the reality that no wealth, status, or intercession can save us from the consequences of our choices if we turn away from truth.