Surat Al-Anbiya’ Verse No. 16: Reading and listening
Translation of the verse 16 from Surah Al-Anbiya’ : Number of verses 112 - - page 323 - Part 17.
﴾وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا لَٰعِبِينَ ﴿
[ الأنبياء: 16]
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play.
English - Sahih International
And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.
Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi
(21:16) We have not created for a pastime the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. *15
Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi
*15) This was to refute their entire conception of life which was based on the assumption that man was free to do whatever he liked, and there was none to call him to account or take him to task: that there was no life in the Hereafter where one's good deeds would be rewarded and evil deeds punished. In other words, this meant that the whole universe had been created without any serious purpose and therefore there was no need to pay any heed to the Message of the Prophet.
Source : Al-Anbiya’ Verse 16: And We did not create the heaven and earth and that between them in play.