وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُم مَّاذَآ أَنزَلَ رَبُّكُمْ ۙ قَالُوٓا۟ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ 24
Translations
And when it is said to them, "What has your Lord sent down?" they say, "Legends of the former peoples,"
Transliteration
Wa-idha qila lahum madha anzala rabbukum qalu asatiru al-awwalin
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the disbelievers of Makkah were asked what their Lord has revealed, they dismissively responded that it was merely 'tales of the ancients' (asatir al-awwalin)—attributing the Qur'an to inherited folklore rather than divine revelation. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah illustrates the arrogant rejection of the Qur'an's divine origin, wherein the Quraysh deliberately mischaracterized the Qur'an's miraculous content as recycled mythology to avoid acknowledging its truth and their accountability.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nahl's broader Meccan context, addressing the persistent denials of the pagan Arabs who heard the Qur'an during the Prophet Muhammad's early preaching. The surah repeatedly documents how the disbelievers responded to the message with mockery and false accusations, making this ayah representative of a common refrain used to dismiss the Qur'an's authenticity.
Related Hadiths
The response of disbelievers calling the Qur'an 'asatir' is referenced in Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:83, with similar refrains appearing throughout the Qur'an. Sahih Bukhari records that the Prophet (ﷺ) was deeply grieved by such rejections, which motivated revelations addressing these accusations.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that truth is often rejected by those who prioritize ego and inherited beliefs over evidence, reminding believers to remain steadfast in faith despite ridicule and to approach the Qur'an with genuine hearts seeking understanding rather than predetermined dismissal.
Related Ayahs
وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمٌۢ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا۟ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
And do not take your oaths as [means of] deceit between you, lest a foot slip after it was [once] firm, and you would taste evil [in this world] for what [people] you diverted from the way of Allāh, and you would have [in the Hereafter] a great punishment.
وَيَجْعَلُونَ لِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ نَصِيبًا مِّمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ ۗ تَٱللَّهِ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ عَمَّا كُنتُمْ تَفْتَرُونَ
And they assign to what they do not know [i.e., false deities] a portion of that which We have provided them. By Allāh, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent.
ثُمَّ إِذَا كَشَفَ ٱلضُّرَّ عَنكُمْ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنكُم بِرَبِّهِمْ يُشْرِكُونَ
Then when He removes the adversity from you, at once a party of you associates others with their Lord
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allāh only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ.