Innamaa al-hayaat al-dunya la’ibun wa lahwun
-Surah 47, Verse 36
Amusement and Diversion. Idle Sport and Play. Play and Passing Delight. Sport and Frivolity. Childish Games. These are what translators of the Quran have called al-hayaat al-dunya, the life of this world. Hans Wehr has the two Arabic nouns that tell us what is the life of this world coming from the verbs la’iba and luhiy, with their various meanings given as “to slaver, slobber, drool (baby)” and “to turn one’s attention from, to try to forget”.
James Salter’s novel, which opens with that verse from Surah 47, is considered one of the most explicit literary treatments of sex ever written by a non-pornographer or not Henry Miller. Could he have guessed fifty five years ago that sex might best today be called a sport and a pastime. Did Muhammad know fifteen hundred years ago that the two words in a verse he transcribed direct from the Angel Gabriel’s mouth Salter would use for his title. Drooling and Forgetting. Al-maktoub maktoub, What is written has been written. Innamaa, indeed.