Guiding Light Selections from the Holy Qur’an

Abstract

Translation
In the Name of Allah
The Most Beneficent, ever Merciful
25. Of them there are some
Who (pretend to) listen to thee;
But We have thrown
Veils on their hearts,
So they understand it not,
And deafness in their ears;
If they saw every one
Of the Signs, not they
Will believe them;
In so much that
When they come to thee,
They (but) dispute with thee;
The Unbelievers say:
“These are nothing
But tales of the ancients.”
Surah al An'am (6)
13. When Our Signs are rehearsed
To him, he says
“Tales of the Ancients!”
14. By no means!
But on their hearts
Is the stain of the (ill)
Which they do!
Surah al Mutaffifin (83)

In the above verses and in many others, we find an important Quranic concept,
al Awwalun. This term is used to indicate “ancient times,” ”ancient peoples and
civilizations,” “forefathers,” and “heritage." ...