الآية رقم (15) - إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(15) - When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples.

The Arabic word of (verses) may also refer to the are wonders as well, which prove the Prophethood of the Prophet (saws). These verses of the Holy Quran which Allah (swt) has supported the Prophet (saws) with are clear before the disbelievers and need no evidence. The greatest miracle is that the Prophet (saws) who did not read even a word in his life brings this miraculous Qur’an in words and meanings. This Arabic word of (verses) indicate the seen and readable signs; the seen miracles are manifested in the universe before them. The Holy Quran contains readable verses about all types of universal miracles to draw the disbelievers to think about the wonders in the universe, consequently this contemplation will lead them to believe in Allah (swt) Who has created this universe.

When the disbelievers heard the verses of Holy Quran, they used to say: “Legends of the former people”. Among them is An-Nader ibn al-Harith, the ally of Bani Abd Ad-dar, he used to visit Al-Hira and listen to their prose and speech. When he came to Mecca and listened to the verses of the Holy Quran and the Prophet (saws) , he said:

 وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا قَالُوا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا لَوْ نَشَاءُ لَقُلْنَا مِثْلَ هَٰذَا ۙ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(And when Our verses are recited to them, they say, “We have heard. If we willed, we could say [something] like this. This is not but legends of the former peoples.”) (Al-Anfal: 31)

Likewise, Al-Walid bin Al-Mughira, who was a man of power, used to mock at the Prophet (saws) and say: “This is but legends of the former people”. Hence, this verse of the study was revealed about him. Some people say that the Arabic word of (legends) is derived from the Arabic word which means (lines). However, the meaning is one in both cases since legends refer to false speech which have false meaning. Describing the Holy Quran by (legends) is a sign of their failure after labelled it once as magic, another time as poetry and at last as legends of the former people. While for sure, they recognized its greatness and were fascinated by its eloquent style because they were people of rhetoric, and yet they described it as (legends of the former people). They thought that the orders of the Holy Quran were difficult for them because they are not willing to abide by them.

Thus, the legends signify the myth and fables such as (One Thousand and One Nights), (Kalila wa Dimna), (The Iliad) and others.  The legends refer to the fabricated speech which has not origin and to the speech which did not take place at its specific time. Allah (swt) says:

 وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا إِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ ۖ فَقَدْ جَاءُوا ظُلْمًا وَزُورًا (4) وَقَالُوا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ اكْتَتَبَهَا فَهِيَ تُمْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا

(And those who disbelieve say, “This [Qur’an] is not except a falsehood he invented, and another people assisted him in it.” But they have committed an injustice and a lie (4). And they say, “Legends of the former peoples which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.”.) (Al-Furqan: 4-5)

Then Allah (swt) threatens anyone who says such that about the Holy Quran, saying: