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
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى سَخَّرَ ٱلْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ مِنْهُ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا وَتَسْتَخْرِجُوا۟ مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَهَا وَتَرَى ٱلْفُلْكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do."
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ ظَالِمِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ فَأَلْقَوُا۟ ٱلسَّلَمَ مَا كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ مِن سُوٓءٍۭ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
The ones whom the angels take in death [while] wronging themselves, and [who] then offer submission, [saying], "We were not doing any evil." But, yes! Indeed, Allāh is Knowing of what you used to do.
وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
And when one of them is informed of [the birth of] a female, his face becomes dark, and he suppresses grief.