Tafsir for verse: 57:20
ٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لَعِبٞ وَلَهۡوٞ وَزِينَةٞ وَتَفَاخُرُۢ بَيۡنَكُمۡ وَتَكَاثُرٞ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَوۡلَٰدِۖ كَمَثَلِ غَيۡثٍ أَعۡجَبَ ٱلۡكُفَّارَ نَبَاتُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصۡفَرّٗا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ حُطَٰمٗاۖ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدٞ وَمَغۡفِرَةٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضۡوَٰنٞۚ وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ ٢٠ ﴿20﴾
20Know well that the worldly life is but a play and an amusement, and a show of beauty, and exchange of boastful claims between you, and a competition of increase in riches and children. (All this is) like a rain, the growth of which attracts the farmers, then it withers, and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. And in the Hereafter there is a severe punishment (for the disbelievers), and forgiveness from Allah and (Allah’s) pleasure (for the believers and the righteous). The worldly life is nothing but a material of delusion.
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Commentary

He means that this world is nothing but trivial matters, which are play, amusement, adornment, boasting, and rivalry in increase. As for the Hereafter, it is nothing but great matters, which are: severe punishment, forgiveness, and the pleasure of Allah. He likened the state of this world and the speed of its passing with its little benefit to a plant that the rain brought forth, and it grew and matured. [The saying 'it grew and matured' in the authentic texts means: its height was completed and its light appeared.] The disbelievers, who deny the blessing of Allah in what He has provided them of rain and vegetation, were amazed by it. So He sent upon it a calamity, and it withered and turned yellow, becoming shattered as a punishment for them for their denial, just as He did with the owners of the garden and the owner of the two gardens. It was said that the disbelievers are the farmers. And it was read: 'mufarrah'.

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Al-ZamakhshariAbū al-Qāsim Maḥmūd ibn ʿUmar al-Zamakhsharī
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