Before dealing with the topic of the PLAY in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is mandatory to remember that the total words in the Bible are 788,280 while the total words in the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible is more than 10 times the Quran word-wise. The PLAY is mentioned 45 times in the Bible (KJV) and 19 times in the Quran, i.e. the Bible mentions the PLAY more than two times as does the Quran. In other words, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times (word-wise) and more than twice (subject-wise) than the Quran to talk about the PLAY.

In this series, the topic of the Play is classified into six parts, herein is the fourth part, which is the Unbelievers and Play

The Unbelievers and Play in the Bible:

Upon talking about the play in 45 verses, the Bible never mention the Unbelievers in these 45 verses.

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The Unbelievers and Play in the Quran:

Upon talking about the play in 19 verses, the Quran mentions the Unbelievers in 10 out of these 19 verses.

Herein, you will find four different translations of the verses.

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A Question to start with:

Allah says that: Did you think that We had created you only for play, and that you would never be returned to Us? ‘

Surah: 23, Verse: 115

QARIB: did you think that we had created you only for play, and that you would never be returned to us? ‘

SHAKIR: what! did you then think that we had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to us?

PICKTHAL: deemed ye then that we had created you for naught, and that ye would not be returned unto us?

YUSUFALI: “did ye then think that we had created you in jest, and that ye would not be brought back to us (for account)?”

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How do the Unbelievers think?

1) They are in doubt

Surah: 44, Verse: 9

QARIB: yet they are in doubt, playing.

SHAKIR: nay, they are in doubt, they sport

PICKTHAL: nay, but they play in doubt.

YUSUFALI: yet they play about in doubt.

2) They listen to the message of Allah while they are playing!

Surah: 21, Verse: 2

QARIB: no recent revival of the remembrance comes to them from their lord, except that they play with it as they listen

SHAKIR: there comes not to them a new reminder from their lord but they hear it while they sport,

PICKTHAL: never cometh there unto them a new reminder from their lord but they listen to it while they play,

YUSUFALI: never comes (aught) to them of a renewed message from their lord, but they listen to it as in jest,-

3) And they are mocking!

Surah: 9, Verse: 65

QARIB: if you question them, they will say: ‘we were only plunging and playing. ’say: ‘were you mocking Allah, his verses, and his messenger?

SHAKIR: and if you should question them, they would certainly say: we were only idly discoursing and sporting. say: was it at Allah and his communications and his messenger that you mocked?

PICKTHAL: and if thou ask them (o Muhammad) they will say: we did but talk and jest. say: was it at Allah and his revelations and his messenger that ye did scoff?

YUSUFALI: if thou dost question them, they declare (with emphasis): “we were only talking idly and in play.” say: “was it at Allah, and his signs, and his messenger, that ye were mocking?”

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What the Believers have to do with the Unbelievers?

If they kept their way, Leave them until they know the truth at the Day of Judgment

Surah: 70, Verse: 42

QARIB: so leave them alone to plunge and play, until they encounter the day which they are promised;

SHAKIR: therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened;

PICKTHAL: so let them chat and play until they meet their day which they are promised,

YUSUFALI: so leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that day of theirs which they have been promised!-

Surah: 43, Verse: 83

QARIB: let them alone to plunge and play, until they encounter that day of theirs which they are promised.

SHAKIR: so leave them plunging into false discourses and sporting until they meet their day which they are threatened with

PICKTHAL: so let them flounder (in their talk) and play until they meet the day which they are promised.

YUSUFALI: so leave them to babble and play (with vanities) until they meet that day of theirs, which they have been promised.

Surah: 6, Verse: 70

QARIB: avoid those who take their religion as playing and an amusement and are seduced by the life of this world. admonish them hereby lest a soul be taken by what it has gained, for it has no guardian or intercessor before Allah, and though it offers every ransom, it shall not be taken from it. those are they who are taken for that which they earned. for them a drink of boiling water, a stern punishment for their disbelief.

SHAKIR: and leave those who have taken their religion for a play and an idle sport, and whom this world’s life has deceived, and remind (them) thereby lest a soul should be given up to destruction for what it has earned; it shall not have besides Allah any guardian nor an intercessor, and if it should seek to give every compensation, it shall not be accepted from it; these are they who shall be given up to destruction for what they earned; they shall have a drink of boiling water and a painful chastisement because they disbelieved

PICKTHAL: and forsake those who take their religion for a pastime and a jest, and whom the life of the world beguileth. remind (mankind) hereby lest a soul be destroyed by what it earneth. it hath beside Allah no protecting ally nor intercessor, and though it offer every compensation it will not be accepted from it. those are they who perish by their own deserts. for them is drink of boiling water and a painful doom, because they disbelieved.

YUSUFALI: leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. but proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except Allah: if it offered every ransom, (or reparation), none will be accepted: such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts: they will have for drink (only) boiling water, and for punishment, one most grievous: for they persisted in rejecting Allah.

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The Unbelievers at the Day of Judgment

Surah: 7, Verse: 51

QARIB: who made their religion an amusement and play, and who were beguiled by their worldly life. ‘ on this day we will forget them as they forgot the meeting of that day; for they denied our verses.

SHAKIR: who take their religion for an idle sport and a play and this life’s world deceives them; so today we forsake them, as they neglected the meeting of this day of theirs and as they denied our communications

PICKTHAL: who took their religion for a sport and pastime, and whom the life of the world beguiled. so this day we have forgotten them even as they forgot the meeting of this their day and as they used to deny our tokens.

YUSUFALI: “such as took their religion to be mere amusement and play, and were deceived by the life of the world.” that day shall we forget them as they forgot the meeting of this day of theirs, and as they were wont to reject our signs.

Surah: 52, Verse: 12-14

QARIB: those who are in plunging, playing.

SHAKIR: those who sport entering into vain discourses

PICKTHAL: who play in talk of grave matters;

YUSUFALI: that play (and paddle) in shallow trifles.

QARIB: on that day when they shall be pitched into the fire of gehenna (hell),

SHAKIR: the day on which they shall be driven away to the fire of hell with violence

PICKTHAL: the day when they are thrust with a (disdainful) thrust, into the fire of hell

YUSUFALI: that day shall they be thrust down to the fire of hell, irresistibly.

QARIB: (it will be said to them): ‘this is the fire which you belied!

SHAKIR: this is the fire which you used to give the lie to

PICKTHAL: (and it is said unto them): this is the fire which ye were wont to deny.

YUSUFALI: “this:, it will be said, “is the fire,- which ye were wont to deny!

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Allah’s Might is coming either at day and night

N.B. Half of the earth is day and the other half is night!

Surah: 7, Verse: 97-98

QARIB: do the inhabitants of the villages feel secure from our might coming to them at night whilst they sleep?

SHAKIR: what! do the people of the towns then feel secure from our punishment coming to them by night while they sleep?

PICKTHAL: are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of our wrath upon them as a night-raid while they sleep?

YUSUFALI: did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of our wrath by night while they were asleep?

QARIB: or do the inhabitants of the villages feel secure from our might coming to them in the midmorning while they play?

SHAKIR: what! do the people of the towns feel secure from our punishment coming to them in the morning while they play?

PICKTHAL: or are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of our wrath upon them in the daytime while they play?

YUSUFALI: or else did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played about (care-free)?

Back to the main topic of my series of articles (1- 75); this is my question to you smart readers: “Is the Quran quoted from the Bible “?