Quran Universe
27:68

لَقَدۡ وُعِدۡنَا هَٰذَا نَحۡنُ وَءَابَآؤُنَا مِن قَبۡلُ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّآ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ

Laqad wuAAidna hatha nahnu waabaona min qablu in hatha illa asateeru alawwaleena

We have been promised this, we and our forefathers, before. This is not but legends of the former peoples."

Word by word
  1. لَقَدۡCertainly
  2. وُعِدۡنَاwe have been promised
  3. هَٰذَاthis
  4. نَحۡنُwe
  5. وَءَابَآؤُنَاand our forefathers
  6. مِنbefore
  7. قَبۡلُbefore
  8. إِنۡNot
  9. هَٰذَآ(is) this
  10. إِلَّآexcept
  11. أَسَٰطِيرُtales
  12. ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ(of) the former (people)
An-Naml · 27:68Makkah

We have heard this forever, they said. Old stories.

When familiarity breeds dismissal

Their reasoning
promised beforeus and our forefathers
but
never seen itso far
so
old legendsno basis
What delay means
not yet means neverjust old tales
not yetstill coming

Ibn Kathir explains their words: we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but we have never seen it happen. They called it tales passed down from old books, with no basis in reality.

You have heard about death and judgment since you were a kid in Quran class. It has become background noise. Hearing something often does not make it less true.

I have heard this all my life, so it feels like old stories.

A truth I have heard many times is still true, and still coming.

Try this

Read one verse about the Hereafter today as if hearing it for the first time.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 27:67)

And those who disbelieve say: "When we have become dust – we and our fathers – shall we really be brought forth? (67)"Indeed we were promised this – we and our forefathers before, verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients. (68)Say to them: "Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals. (69)And grieve you not over them, nor be straitened (in distress) because of what they plot (70)

Scepticism about the Resurrection and Its Refutation

Allah tells us about the idolators who deny the Resurrection, considering it extremely unlikely that bodies will be re-created after they have become bones and dust. Then He says:

لَقَدْ وُعِدْنَا هَٰذَا نَحْنُ وَآبَاؤُنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ

(Indeed we were promised this – we and our forefathers before,) meaning, 'we and our forefathers have been hearing this for a long time, but in reality, we have never seen it happen.'

إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(verily, these are nothing but tales of ancients.) the promises that bodies will be restored are

 إِلَّا أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ

(nothing but tales of ancients.) meaning that they were taken by the people who came before us from books which were handed down from one to the other, but they have no basis in reality. Responding to their thoughts of disbelief and their belief that there would be no Resurrection, Allah said,

قُلْ

(Say) 'O Muhammad, to these people,'

سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

(Travel in the land and see how has been the end of the criminals.) meaning, those who denied the Messengers and their message of the Resurrection and other matters. See how the punishment and vengeance of Allah struck them and how Allah saved from among them the noble Messengers and the believers who followed them. This will be an indication of the truth of the Message brought by the Messengers. Then, to comfort the Prophet ﷺ, Allah says:

وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ 

(And grieve you not over them,) meaning, 'but do not feel sorry for them or kill yourself with regret for them,'

وَلَا تَكُنْ فِي ضَيْقٍ مِمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ

(nor be straitened because of what they plot.) means, 'because they plot against you and reject what you have brought, for Allah will help and support you, and cause your religion to prevail over those who oppose you and stubbornly resist you in the east and in the west.'