Al-Anbiya (الأنبياء)
Chapter 21 · The Prophets · Juz 17
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ
Wa maa khalaqnas samaaa'a wal arda wa maa bainahumaa laa'ibeen
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
Quran 21:16 — Surah Al-Anbiya
This is verse 16 of 112 in Surah Al-Anbiya (الأنبياء), meaning “The Prophets”. It is a Meccan surah — revealed in Makkah before the Hijrah. This verse is located in Juz 17 (Part 17) of the Quran.
Surah Al-Anbiya is the 21th chapter of the Holy Quran and contains 112 verses (ayat). You can listen to this surah with audio recitation and follow along with transliteration on QuranMakkah.com.
To pronounce this verse, follow the transliteration below. Each syllable represents the Arabic sounds written in Latin letters:
Wa maa khalaqnas samaaa'a wal arda wa maa bainahumaa laa'ibeen
قَالُوا۟ يَٰوَيْلَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ
They said, "O woe to us! Indeed, we were wrongdoers."
فَمَا زَالَت تِّلْكَ دَعْوَىٰهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَعَلْنَٰهُمْ حَصِيدًا خَٰمِدِينَ
And that declaration of theirs did not cease until We made them [as] a harvest [mowed down], extinguished [like a fire].
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
لَوْ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًۭا لَّٱتَّخَذْنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّآ إِن كُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ
Had We intended to take a diversion, We could have taken it from [what is] with Us - if [indeed] We were to do so.
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِٱلْحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلْبَٰطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌۭ ۚ وَلَكُمُ ٱلْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ
Rather, We dash the truth upon falsehood, and it destroys it, and thereupon it departs. And for you is destruction from that which you describe.