لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًۭا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ
If We had wished to find a pastime, We could have found it in Our presence - if We ever did.
Qur’an 21:17 · Al-Anbiyaa
Marmaduke Pickthall
Source
Qur’an 21:17 · Surah Al-Anbiyaa · Ayah 17
Marmaduke Pickthall
Source text checked 2026-09-26.
What It Means: Reading in Context
Read with 21:16, which denies that creation is play. This is a conditional statement, not an assertion that Allah has taken a pastime; Pickthall’s complete wording is retained. This entry presents Qur’an 21:17 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.
REFLECTION · EDITORIAL
Reflect on creation with reverence and care.
This reflection is not Qur’an, hadith or an authoritative tafsir.