َ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَعْجَبَ الْكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَاهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَامًا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٌ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿۲۰﴾ سَابِقُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ ﴿۲۱﴾

﴾20﴿ I'lamooo annamal hayaa tud dunyaa la'ibunw wa lahwunw wa zeenatunw wa tafaakhurum bainakum wa takaasurun fil amwaali wal awlaad, kamasali ghaisin a'jabal kuffaara nabaatuhoo summa yaheeju fataraahu musfarran summa yakoonu hutaamaa; wa fil aakhirati 'azaabun shadeedunw wa magh firatum minal laahi wa ridwaan; wa mal haiyaa tuddun yaaa illaa mataa'ul ghuroor
﴾21﴿ Saabiqooo ilaa maghfiratim mir Rabbikum wa jannatin 'arduhaa ka-'ardis samaaa'i wal ardi u'iddat lillazeena aamanoo billaahi wa Rusulih; zaalika fadlul laahi yu'teehi many yashaaa'; wal laahu zul fadlil 'azeem

﴾20﴿ Know that the life of this world is only play, amusement, adornment, boasting among yourselves, and rivalry in wealth and children—like the example of beneficial rain that pleases the farmers when it causes vegetation to grow, then it withers, and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes debris. And in the Hereafter, there is severe punishment, as well as forgiveness from Allah and His pleasure. And the life of this world is nothing but a deceiving enjoyment
﴾21﴿ Race towards forgiveness from your Lord and towards a Paradise whose width is like that of the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the grace of Allah—He grants it to whomever He wills, and Allah is the Possessor of great bounty

[20] This is the fourth method of encouraging infāq (spending in the path of Allah), and its essence is this: there is no lasting benefit in worldly wealth—rather, it quickly perishes.
Therefore, it is necessary to seek forgiveness and Paradise through spending in Allah's cause.
(Iʿlamū)—“Know”—this introduces detachment from the world (tazhīd fī al-dunyā) in five progressive stages, and there is a beautiful order in this sequence.
The meaning of (al-ḥayāt al-dunyā) is either the material possessions of the world or the stages of a person’s worldly life:
1. In childhood, everything appears as toys and playthings.
2. As the child grows slightly older, entertainment and distractions become his concern.
3. As he approaches youth, adornment and beautification attract him.
4. In maturity, the focus shifts to pride and competition over worldly things.
5. In old age, the person becomes greedy for wealth, striving to accumulate it.
Life passes through these five phases, followed by death and perishing.
This is illustrated through a parable: (ka-mathali ghaythin)—like rain that produces beautiful plants, which then dry up, change color, crumble, and become chaff.
Similarly, the human being emerges, remains fresh and vibrant for a time, then the worries of life begin, his energy fades, his complexion yellows, illness befalls him, he grows old, and eventually he dies.
(Wa mā al-ḥayātu al-dunyā)—this sentence gives the reason for the prior description: love for worldly things leads a person into delusion, and all five stages stem from this attachment.
(Aʿjaba al-kuffār)—the better interpretation here is that kuffār refers to disbelievers, because iʿjāb (admiration) here implies arrogance, and taking pride in worldly possessions is a characteristic of disbelievers.
[21] After the detachment from the world (tazhīd fī al-dunyā), the verse now encourages striving for the Hereafter—meaning: through this temporary worldly life and its wealth, seek to attain Paradise by spending in the path of Allah (infāq fī sabīlillāh).
(Dhālika faḍlullāh)—This is a clear proof that Paradise is attained through the grace and mercy of Allah the Exalted.
Indeed, faith and righteous deeds are the apparent means that Allah has made as the path to that reward—but ultimately, it is His grace that grants it.