Al-Anbiyaa 21:16

What It Means: Reading in Context

Allah states that the heavens, earth and what lies between them were not created in play. Verse 21:17 continues the same subject with a conditional statement about a pastime. This entry presents Qur’an 21:16 from Surah Al-Anbiyaa, with Arabic text and Marmaduke Pickthall’s English translation. The translation conveys meaning in English; it is not a replacement for the Arabic Qur’an. Read the linked passage with the verses before and after it, particularly when a sentence continues across verse boundaries. The topics shown here are editorial reading aids rather than an exhaustive interpretation of the passage. Our short reflection offers a possible practical response, clearly separated from scripture. It should not be repeated as a verse, hadith or authoritative tafsir. For detailed interpretation or questions about religious practice, consult qualified scholarship and the complete source.