لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا نَحْنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا هَـٰذَا مِن قَبْلُ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَـٰطِيرُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ 83
Translations
We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before; this is not but legends of the former peoples."
Transliteration
Laqad wu'idna nahnu wa-abaa'una hadha min qablu in hadha illa asatiru al-awwaliin
Tafsir (Explanation)
The disbelievers are responding to the message of resurrection and the Day of Judgment by dismissing it as mere repetition of ancient fables and legends passed down from their forefathers. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah captures the arrogant rejection of the Quran's warnings, where the pagans refused to accept the resurrection because it contradicted their inherited beliefs and desires, preferring to cling to the traditions of their ancestors rather than engage with the truth presented to them.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Mu'minun, which contrasts the believers with the disbelievers. The broader passage (23:81-89) depicts the pagans' mockery and rejection of Islamic teachings about monotheism, resurrection, and the afterlife. This reflects the historical resistance of the Meccan polytheists who rejected the Prophet Muhammad's message, claiming it was nothing new but merely legends from the past.
Related Hadiths
Related to the theme of ancestral imitation and blind following: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'You follow the ways of those nations before you, handspan by handspan, cubit by cubit' (Sahih Bukhari 3456). This hadith illustrates how nations repeat the mistakes of their predecessors, much like the disbelievers in this ayah cling to their ancestors' falsehoods.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us to critically examine inherited beliefs and traditions rather than accepting them uncritically, and to remain open to divine guidance regardless of whether it aligns with what our forefathers practiced. It serves as a reminder that truth cannot be dismissed merely because it contradicts popular opinion or ancestral customs.