ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ لَهْوًا وَلَعِبًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ فَٱلْيَوْمَ نَنسَىٰهُمْ كَمَا نَسُوا۟ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَـٰذَا وَمَا كَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ 51
Translations
Who took their religion as distraction and amusement and whom the worldly life deluded." So today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day of theirs and for having rejected Our verses.
Transliteration
Alladhina ittakhazu deenahum lahwan wa la'iban wa gharrathum al-hayatu ad-dunya; fa-al-yawma nansahum kama nasū liqā'a yawmihim hādhā wa mā kānū bi-āyātinā yajḥadūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes those who treated their religion as mere play and amusement, being deceived by worldly life. As a consequence, Allah will forget them on the Day of Judgment—just as they forgot to prepare for it and denied His signs. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that 'forgetting' here means depriving them of Allah's mercy and allowing them to face punishment without intercession, a reciprocal punishment for their negligence in this life.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Al-A'raf's Meccan section addressing the disbelievers of Mecca who prioritized worldly pleasures over religious commitment. The broader context of this surah contrasts believers and disbelievers, with this particular ayah condemning those who reduced faith to superficial entertainment rather than sincere devotion.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sahih Bukhari 5027), contrasting with the attitude condemned here of treating religion casually. Additionally, the hadith 'Whoever makes the worldly life his goal, Allah scatters his affairs' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2465) reflects the consequence of the deception mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah warns believers against treating faith as casual entertainment or subordinating religious obligations to worldly pursuits; authentic spirituality demands sincere commitment. It serves as a reminder that negligence toward Allah's guidance in this life has profound consequences, encouraging us to prioritize our relationship with Allah over temporary pleasures.
Related Ayahs
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُۥ ۚ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى تَأْوِيلُهُۥ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ فَهَل لَّنَا مِن شُفَعَآءَ فَيَشْفَعُوا۟ لَنَآ أَوْ نُرَدُّ فَنَعْمَلَ غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ قَدْ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
Do they await except its result? The Day its result comes, those who had ignored it before will say, "The messengers of our Lord had come with the truth, so are there [now] any intercessors to intercede for us or could we be sent back to do other than what we used to do?" They will have lost themselves, and lost from them is what they used to invent.
رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ
The Lord of Moses and Aaron."
سَآءَ مَثَلًا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَأَنفُسَهُمْ كَانُوا۟ يَظْلِمُونَ
How evil an example [is that of] the people who denied Our signs and used to wrong themselves.
۞ وَإِذْ نَتَقْنَا ٱلْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ كَأَنَّهُۥ ظُلَّةٌ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ وَاقِعٌۢ بِهِمْ خُذُوا۟ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰكُم بِقُوَّةٍ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ مَا فِيهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
And [mention] when We raised the mountain above them as if it was a dark cloud and they were certain that it would fall upon them, [and Allāh said], "Take what We have given you with determination and remember what is in it that you might fear Allāh."