The verse ends as follows: “.

This is naught but the tales of the ancients’.”*** In the previous verse, the words were about the plot of the enemies of the Prophet (S) who wanted to kill him. Here, this holy verse refers to their decision that they decided to belittle the religion of Islam and the Qur'an.

The verse says: “And when Our signs are recited to them, they say: ‘We have heard...” The Arabic word /’asatir/ is the plural form of the Qur'anic term /’usturah/ with the sense of ‘myths’, and ‘imaginary superstitious tales’. Before the appointment of the Prophet (S) to his Divine mission, Nasr-ibn-i-Harith once had come to Iran and had learnt the Iranian story of Rustam and Isfandiyar.

When he returned back to Mecca and Medina, he said to the people of his own locality that he could also speak like Muhammad (S) and tell stories.[^2] Among the common weapons of enemies, of course, are demagogy, belittling, and disparaging. The verse continues saying: “…If we like, we (too) can say the like of this (Qur'an)…” This fact must also be known that enemies of Islam are usually some haughty persons. They claim, but in action, they are incapable to bring the like of the Qur’an.

They said that those verses had not any important content in them and they were the myths of the ancient people. The verse says: “...This is naught but the tales of the ancients’.” They said such a statement while they had repeatedly tried to challenge with the Qur’an, but they failed every time. So, they knew well that they could not oppose against the Qur’an or challenge with it.

if this (Quran) is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky, or bring us a painful punishment’.”*** Such prayers of curses were either because of intense zeal and obstinacy that they considered their own way as a right way and the way of Islam wrong, or it was a kind of demagogy.