Al-Qur'an Surah Al-An'am Verse 70

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Avoid those who have taken their faith as fun and games. The worldly life has deceived them. Preach with it (the Qur’ān), lest one should be seized for what he did, in a way that he should have neither a helper besides Allah, nor an intercessor. Should he offer every (sort of) ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Those are the ones who are seized for what they themselves earned. For them there is a drink of boiling water, and a painful punishment, because they used to disbelieve.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And leave those who take this[[ lit., their faith (which they are supposed to follow). ]] faith ˹of Islam˺ as mere play and amusement and are deluded by ˹their˺ worldly life. Yet remind them by this ˹Quran˺, so no one should be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have no protector or intercessor other than Allah. Even if they were to offer every ˹possible˺ ransom, none will be accepted from them. Those are the ones who will be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have a boiling drink and painful punishment for their disbelief.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Leave those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deluded by the life of this world. But admonish them with this [Qur’an], so no soul should be ruined for its misdeeds – having no protector or intercessor other than Allah. Even if they were to offer every form of ransom, it will not be accepted. Such are the ones who will be ruined for their misdeeds. They will have scalding water to drink and a painful punishment for their disbelief.

A. J. Arberry

Leave alone those who take their religion for a sport and a diversion, and whom the present life has deluded. Remind hereby, lest a soul should be given up to destruction for what it has earned; apart from God, it has no protector and no intercessor; though it offer any equivalent, it shall not be taken from it. Those are they who are given up to destruction for what they have earned; for them awaits a draught of boiling water and a painful chastisement, for that they were unbelievers.

Abdul Haleem

Leave to themselves those who take their religion for a mere game and distraction and are deceived by the life of this world, but continue to remind them with the [Quran], lest any soul be damned by what it has done- it will have no one to protect it from God and no one to intercede; whatever ransom it may offer will not be accepted. Such are those who are damned by their own actions: they will have boil-ing water to drink and a painful punishment, because they used to defy [God].

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And let those alone who have taken their religion as a play and a sport and whom the life of the world hath beguiled. And admonish thou them therewith lest a soul be given up to perdition for that which it hath earned, when for him there shall be no friend or intercessor beside Allah, and when if he offer every equivalent it shall not be accepted of him. Those are they who are given up to perdition for that which they have earned. For them shall be drink of boiling water and a torment afflictive, for they were wont to disbelieve.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But proclaim (to them) this (truth); that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts; it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah; if it offered every ransom, (or reparation), none will be accepted; such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts; they will have for drink (only) boiling water, and for punishment, one most grievous; for they persisted in rejecting Allah.

Abul Ala Maududi

Leave alone those who have made a sport and a pastime of their religion and whom the life of the world has beguiled. But continue to admonish them (with the Qur'an) lest a man should be caught for what he has himself earned for there shall neither be any protector nor intercessor apart from Allah; and though he may offer any conceivable ransom it shall not be accepted from him, for such people have been caught for the deeds that they have themselves earned. Boiling water to drink and a painful chastisement to suffer for their unbelief is what awaits them.

Ahmed Ali

Leave those alone who have made a sport and frolic of their faith, and have been seduced by the life of this world. Remind them hereby lest a man is doomed for what he has done. He will have none to help him, or intercede for him, other than God; and even if he offer all the ransoms they will not be accepted from him. They are those who will be destroyed by their own acts. There will be scalding water to drink for them and painful punishment, for they had disbelieved.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And forsake those who have made their religion a mockery and play, and whom the worldly life has deceived – and advise them with this Qur’an so that a soul may not be seized for what it earns; other than Allah it will not have a protector nor an intercessor; and if it offers every recompense in exchange for itself, it will not be accepted from it; these are the ones who are seized for their own deeds; for them is boiling water to drink and a painful punishment, as a recompense of their disbelief. (The disbelievers will not have any intercessors.)

Ali Quli Qarai

Leave alone those who take their religion for play and diversion and whom the life of this world has deceived, and admonish with it, lest any soul should perish because of what it has earned: It shall not have any guardian besides Allah, nor any intercessor; and though it should offer every kind of ransom, it shall not be accepted from it. They are the ones who perish because of what they have earned; they shall have boiling water for drink and a painful punishment because of what they used to defy.

Ali Ünal

Quit those who take their Religion (the one appointed for them by God) for a play and pastime (and have made play and fun their own religion), and whom the present, worldly life has deluded. But remind them (through the Qur’an) lest any soul should be given up to destruction for what it has earned, for there will neither be any protecting friend nor intercessor apart from God, and even though it may offer any ransom (in return for its unforgivable sins such as unbelief and associating partners with God), it will not be accepted from it. They are those who are given up to destruction for what they have earned; for them is a drink of boiling water and a painful punishment because they were persistently disbelieving.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And leave alone those who take their religion as a futile and frivolous thing causing diversion (from Allâh). Present life has beguiled them, therefore go on admonishing (such people) by means of this (Qur´ân) lest a soul should be consigned to perdition because of its misdeeds. There is no patron for it (-the soul) apart from Allâh, nor intercessor, and even if it may offer every compensation it will not be accepted from it. It is these who are destroyed for what they accomplished. There awaits them a drink of boiling water and a grievous punishment because they disbelieved.

English Literal

And leave those who took their religion playing/amusement and a play thing/amusement, and the life the present/worldly life has deceived/tempted them, and remind them with it, that a self be exposed/made to surrender to destruction because (of) what it earned/acquired , (there) is not a guardian for it, and nor a mediator from other than God, and if it ransoms/redeems every ransom/redemption (it will) not be taken from it, those are those who were exposed/made to surrender to destruction because (of) what they earned/acquired , for them (is) a drink from hot water/sweat , and a painful torture because (or) what they were disbelieving.

Faridul Haque

And forsake those who have made their religion a mockery and play, and whom the worldly life has deceived - and advise them with this Qur’an so that a soul may not be seized for what it earns; other than Allah it will not have a protector nor an intercessor; and if it offers every recompense in exchange for itself, it will not be accepted from it; these are the ones who are seized for their own deeds; for them is boiling water to drink and a painful punishment, as a recompense of their disbelief. (The disbelievers will not have any intercessors.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Say, "Shall we call, instead of unto Allah, unto that which neither profits us nor harms us, and be thrown back upon our heels after Allah has guided us - like him whom Satan hath led away infatuated and bewildered in the earth, who has companions who call him to misguidance, saying, ´Come to us? ´" Say, "Verily, Allah´s guidance is true Guidance, and we are bidden to surrender unto the Lord of the Worlds.

Hilali & Khan

And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But remind (them) with it (the Quran) lest a person be given up to destruction for that which he has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah, and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And those who keep their duty are not accountable for them in aught but (theirs) is only to remind; haply they may guard against evil.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And leave those who have taken their religion for a play and an idle sport, and whom this world's life has deceived, and remind (them) thereby lest a soul should be given up to destruction for what it has earned; it shall not have besides Allah any guardian nor an intercessor, and if it should seek to give every compensation, it shall not be accepted from it; these are they who shall be given up to destruction for what they earned; they shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And forsake those who take their religion for a pastime and a jest, and whom the life of the world beguileth. Remind (mankind) hereby lest a soul be destroyed by what it earneth. It hath beside Allah no protecting ally nor intercessor, and though it offer every compensation it will not be accepted from it. Those are they who perish by their own deserts. For them is drink of boiling water and a painful doom, because they disbelieved.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Muhammad), leave alone those to whom their religion is no more than a useless plaything and who are deceived by the lure of the worldly life. Remind them of Our revelation so that a soul will not bring about its own destruction because of its deeds. No one besides God will be its guardian or intercessor, nor will any kind of ransom be accepted from it. Those who have entangled themselves in their evil deeds will drink boiling water and live in painful torment for their hiding the Truth.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Avoid those who take their religion as playing and an amusement and are seduced by the life of this world. Admonish them hereby lest a soul be taken by what it has gained, for it has no guardian or intercessor before Allah, and though it offers every ransom, it shall not be taken from it. Those are they who are taken for that which they earned. For them a drink of boiling water, a stern punishment for their disbelief.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. But remind (them) with it (the Qur'an) lest a soul Tubsal for that which one has earned, when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah, and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him. Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve.

Wahiduddin Khan

Leave alone those for whom religion is only a sport and pastime and are deceived by the life of this world, but continue to remind them with the Quran, lest a soul be held in pledge because of what it has wrought, having no helper or intercessor besides God. Whatever ransom they may offer, it will not be accepted. Such are those that are damned by their own actions: they will have boiling water to drink and a painful punishment for their denial of truth.

Talal Itani

So leave alone those who take their religion for play and pastime, and whom the worldly life has deceived. But remind with it, lest a soul becomes damned on account of what it has earned. It has no helper or intercessor besides God. Even if it offers every equivalent, none will be accepted from it. These are the ones who are delivered to perdition by their actions. They will have a drink of scalding water, and a painful punishment, because they used to disbelieve.

Tafsir jalalayn

And forsake, leave alone, those who take their religion, with which they have been charged, as a game and a diversion, making a mockery of it, and whom the life of this world has deluded, and so do not interfere with them -- this was [revealed] before the command to fight [them]. Remind, admonish people, thereby, by the Qur'n, lest a soul perish, [lest] it be given up for destruction, for what it has earned, what it has done; it has no protector, [no] helper, besides God, other than Him, and no intercessor, to ward off the chastisement from it; and though it offer every compensation, [though] it pay every ransom, it shall not be accepted from it, that which it offers as ransom. Those are the ones who perish by what they have earned; for them shall be a draught of boiling water and a painful chastisement, because they disbelieved, that is, for their unbelief.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah said,

وَذَرِ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ دِينَهُمْ لَعِبًا وَلَهْوًا وَغَرَّتْهُمُ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا

And leave alone those who take their religion as play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world.

The Ayah commands to leave such people, ignore them and give them respite, for soon, they will taste a tremendous torment.

This is why Allah said,

وَذَكِّرْ بِهِ

But remind with it,

meaning, remind the people with this Qur'an and warn them against Allah's revenge and painful torment on the Day of Resurrection.

Allah said;

أَن تُبْسَلَ نَفْسٌ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ

lest a soul Tubsal for that which one has earned,

meaning, so that it is not Tubsal.

Ad-Dahhak from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Al-Hasan and As-Suddi said that;
Tubsal means, be submissive.

Al-Walibi said that Ibn Abbas said that;
Tubsal means, `be exposed'.

Qatadah said that;
Tubsal means, `be prevented'.

Murrah and Ibn Zayd said that;

it means, `be recompensed'.

Al-Kalbi said,

`be reckoned'.

All these statements and expressions are similar, for they all mean exposure to destruction, being kept away from all that is good, and being restrained from attaining what is desired.

Allah also said;

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ

إِلاَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْيَمِينِ

Every person is restrained by what he has earned. Except those on the Right. (74;38-39)

and,

لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللّهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ

when he will find for himself no protector or intercessor besides Allah.

and,

وَإِن تَعْدِلْ كُلَّ عَدْلٍ لاَّ يُوْخَذْ مِنْهَا

and even if he offers every ransom, it will not be accepted from him.

meaning, whatever the ransom such people offer, it will not be accepted from them.

Allah said in a similar statement,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَمَاتُواْ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْ أَحَدِهِم مِّلْءُ الاٌّرْضِ ذَهَبًا

Verily, those who disbelieved, and died while they were disbelievers, the (whole) earth full of gold will not be accepted from anyone of them. (3;91)

Allah said here,

أُوْلَـيِكَ الَّذِينَ أُبْسِلُواْ بِمَا كَسَبُواْ لَهُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيمٍ وَعَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْفُرُونَ



Such are they who are given up to destruction because of that which they have earned. For them will be a drink of boiling water and a painful torment because they used to disbelieve