Al-Qur'an Surah Muhammad Verse 36

Mufti Taqi Usmani

The worldly life is but play and pastime. If you believe and be God-fearing, He will give you your rewards, and will not ask you your riches.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

This worldly life is no more than play and amusement. But if you are faithful and mindful ˹of Allah˺, He will grant you your ˹full˺ reward, and will not ask you ˹to donate all˺ your wealth.

Ruwwad Translation Center

The life of this world is only play and amusement. But if you believe and fear Allah, He will give you your rewards, and He does not ask you for all your wealth.

A. J. Arberry

The present life is naught but a sport and a diversion; and if you believe and are godfearing, He will give you your wages, and will not ask of you your goods.

Abdul Haleem

the life of this world is only a game, a pastime, but if you believe and are mindful of God, He will recompense you. He does not ask you to give up [all] your posses-sions-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

The life of the world is but a sport and a pastime. And if ye believe and fear, He will give you your hire, and will not require of you your substance.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The life of this world is but play and amusement; and if ye believe and guard against Evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions.

Abul Ala Maududi

The life of this world is but sport and amusement. If you believe and are God-fearing, He will grant you your reward, and will not ask you for your possessions.

Ahmed Ali

Verily the life of this world is no more than a sport and frivolity. If you believe and fear God, he will give you your reward, and will not ask for your possessions.

Ahmed Raza Khan

The worldly life is just a sport and pastime; and if you accept faith and be pious, He will bestow your rewards to you, and not at all ask you for your wealth.

Ali Quli Qarai

The life of the world is just play and diversion, but if you are faithful and Godwary, He will give you your rewards, and will not ask your wealth [in return] from you.

Ali Ünal

The present, worldly life is nothing but a play and a pastime. If you truly believe and keep from disobedience to Him in reverence for Him and piety, He will grant you your rewards, and will not ask of you your wealth.

Amatul Rahman Omar

(Hypocrites!) the present life is only unreal and makes you ignore and forgetful (of your duties towards God). If you believe and guard against evil He will give you your reward and will not ask of you your wealth (to confiscate it from you but He wishes to repay the efforts you make with your wealth).

English Literal

But/truly the life the present/worldly life is playing/amusement and fun/games (attractions), and if you believe and fear and obey, He gives/brings you your rewards , and He does not ask/question you (for) your properties/possessions .

Faridul Haque

The worldly life is just a sport and pastime; and if you accept faith and be pious, He will bestow your rewards to you, and not at all ask you for your wealth.

Hamid S. Aziz

The life of this world is only idle sport and pastime, and if you believe and guard (against evil) He will give you your wages, and will not ask of you your possessions.

Hilali & Khan

The life of this world is but play and pastime, but if you believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), and fear Allah, and avoid evil, He will grant you your wages, and will not ask you your wealth.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And be not slack so as to cry for peace -- and you are the uppermost -- and Allah is with you, and He will not bring your deeds to naught.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

The life of this world is only idle sport and play, and if you believe and guard (against evil) He will give you your rewards, and will not ask of you your possessions.

Mohammed Marmaduke William 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 wordly wealth.

Muhammad Sarwar

The worldly life is only a childish game. If you have faith and piety, you will receive your rewards and God will not ask you to pay for them.

Qaribullah & Darwish

The life of this world is but play and an amusement. If you believe and are cautious, He will give you your wage, and will not ask for your possessions.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

This worldly life is only amusement and diversion. And if you believe and have Taqwa of Allah, He will grant you your rewards, and will not ask from you (to sacrifice all of) your possessions.

Wahiduddin Khan

The life of this world is only a game, a pastime, but if you believe and are mindful of God, He will recompense you and will not ask you for your wealth.

Talal Itani

The life of this word is nothing but play and pastime. But if you have faith and lead a righteous life, He will grant you your rewards, and He will not ask you for your possessions.

Tafsir jalalayn

The life of this world, that is to say, preoccupation [solely] with it, is merely play and diversion; but if you believe and are wary, of God, [both of] which pertain to [the goal of] the Hereafter, He will give you your rewards, and will not ask you your wealth [in return], all of it, rather, only the alms that are required from it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Showing the Triviality of the Worldly Life and encouraging Spending

Expressing the insignificance and worthlessness of the worldly life, Allah says,

إِنَّمَا الحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ

This worldly life is only amusement and diversion.

which means that such is its outcome, except for that which is done for the sake of Allah.

Because of this, Allah says,

وَإِن تُوْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا يُوْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَاإ يَسْأَلْكُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ



And if you believe and have Taqwa of Allah, He will grant you your rewards, and will not ask from you (to sacrifice all of) your possessions.

meaning, He is in no need of you, and asks you for nothing. He only ordained giving charity from your wealth so that you would help your needy brothers. The benefit of that would then come back to you, as well as the rewards.

Allah then says