An-Nahl (The Bee)

24. “And when they are asked: ‘What has your Lord sent down?’ They say: ‘The legends of the ancients’.”

The Arabic term /’as atir/ is the plural form of /’ustūrah/ which signifies the stories and superstitious fables which have been turned into written forms.

Or, it may be the plural form of /’ast ar/ which means lines that have been copied in duplicated forms from the previous books. This word has been quoted nine times in the Qur’an from the pagan’s tongue in all cases of which they have been accompanied by the word /’awwalin/ meaning the ‘first one’s’. That is, they would say:

“These words are nothing new; they are contrarily, those expressed or rather fabricated by the predecessors.”

In the previous verse, the discussion concentrated on those who were arrogant. The usual logic of these disbelievers is reflected in this verse which implies that when they are asked as to what their Lord has revealed, they answer that these are not the Divine revelations; they are the same false stories of the predecessors.

The verse says:

“And when they are asked: ‘What has your Lord sent down?’ They say: ‘The legends of the ancients’.”

It is interesting to note that the arrogant today usually mischievously appeal to this way of escaping the truth in order to mislead others. In some books concerning sociology, they have turned to even putting their deceptive ideas into a scientific framework and claim that ‘religion’ is the product of man’s ignorance and religious interpretations are confined to ‘fables’ only.

However, they do not organize any campaigns against the superstitious and fabricated religions. Their opposition is only concentrated around true religions which seek to awaken people’s minds, breaking up of the policies of colonialism and of obstructing the way of the expansionists and colonialists.

In conclusion, the sending of the prophets (as) and of the Celestial Books are among the Lordly acts for the education and guidance of the people.

But, the habit of the arrogant people is to despise and humiliate whether be it sometimes the school, at other times the leader, or the entire nation.