سورة الشعراء

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): [This] means that on every path there is a sign, and by 'the sign' is meant Ali (peace be upon him); تَعْبَثُونَ [you do vainly] means you regard it as pointless.

Ibn Abbas: تَعْبَثُونَ [you do vainly] means you build structures you have no need for to live in; rather, your aim is to do something pointless, a plaything and amusement. It is as if Allah regarded their building what they had no need for as a pointless act on their part.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Anas ibn Malik narrates: One day the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came out and saw a lofty dome atop a building. He asked: "What is this?" The companions said: "This building belongs to one of the Ansar." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) waited until its owner came and greeted the people; the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) turned away from him. He did this several times to him, until at last that man became aware of the Messenger of Allah's (peace be upon him and his family) anger and turning away from him. He complained to the companions and said: "I have noticed the Messenger of Allah's (peace be upon him and his family) harsh regard toward me, but I do not know what has happened and what I have done." They said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) came out and saw your dome. He asked: 'Whose is this?' and we told him it was yours." So the man went and [demolished] the dome and levelled it with the ground. Then, one day, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came out and did not see that dome; he asked: "What became of the dome that was here?" They said: "Its owner asked us the reason for your turning away from him and we informed him, and he demolished it." At this the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Every structure that is built will be a burden upon its owner on the Day of Resurrection, except a building that is according to need."