What is the meaning of the word "al-hayawan" in the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement, and indeed, the Hereafter is the true life, if only they knew"?

The questioner : What is the meaning of the word "al-hayawan" in the saying of Allah the Exalted and what is the meaning of the verse?

The Shaykh : This verse indicates that this world is nothing but diversion in the hearts, heedlessness, and amusement in the limbs, such as joy, arrogance, and the like, except for what is obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Indeed, what is obedience to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is truth, not diversion or amusement, but rather it is a firm truth in which a person is rewarded by Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and given reward for it. However, this world, which is this world, is nothing but amusement and diversion. For this reason, you find a person in it heedless and playing until the certainty comes to him, and it is as if it is confused dreams. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted
And His saying means that if they had known the truth, they would not have occupied themselves with this world, which is diversion and amusement, at the expense of the Hereafter, which is the true life. Indeed, if a person had beneficial knowledge in this matter, he would prefer the Hereafter over this world and would not prefer this world over the Hereafter. And with this, a person's share from this world is not prevented from him as long as it does not occupy him from his share in the Hereafter. So there is no blame on a person for taking from this world what Allah has made lawful for him. Indeed, abstaining from the good things without a legitimate religious reason is blameworthy and is not the way of the people of Islam. Rather, what distracts from the obedience of Allah from this world, there is no good in it. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with the best reward.