سورة الأنبياء، الآية ١٦
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ ١٦
wamā khalaqnā l-samāa wal-arḍa wamā baynahumā lāʿibīna
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
Verse 16 of Surah Al-Anbya (21:16), a Meccan surah, is in juz 17, on page 323 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 74 reciters.
80 recitations by 74 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.
And I did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is in between as a plaything or in vain, but rather I created them to show My power.
We did not create the heavens and earth and all that is between them for fun.
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play.1
[1] (V.21:16) All the creation of the heavens and the earth is a proof for mankind to learn a lesson and know that the only Creator and the only Organizer of all this universe is One (Allâh), Lâ ilâha illallâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh, Who has no partners with Him).
We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in play.
Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!
And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them for sport.
And in no way did We create the heaven and the earth and whatever is between them as playing.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ وَسَوْفَ تُسْـَٔلُونَ
And indeed, it is a remembrance for you and your people, and you [all] are going to be questioned.
وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ نُوحٍ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِۦ خَبِيرًۢا بَصِيرًا
And how many have We destroyed from the generations after Noah. And sufficient is your Lord, concerning the sins of His servants, as Aware and Seeing.
فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَٰهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌ فَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍ مُّعَطَّلَةٍ وَقَصْرٍ مَّشِيدٍ
And how many a city did We destroy while it was committing wrong - so it is [now] fallen into ruin - and [how many] an abandoned well and [how many] a lofty palace.
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔوا۟ بِمَا عَمِلُوا۟ وَيَجْزِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ بِٱلْحُسْنَى
And to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth - that He may recompense those who do evil with [the penalty of] what they have done and recompense those who do good with the best [reward] -
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَٰطِلًا ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنَ ٱلنَّارِ
And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire.
لَّوْ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَّٱصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ
If Allāh had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed. Exalted is He; He is Allāh, the One, the Prevailing.
They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ
And We did not create the heavens and earth and that between them in play.
