The chief unbelievers of Mecca came close to the Prophet Muhammad while he was reciting the Quran aiming to listen to it. They said: This Quran is nothing but the fables, the lies and stories of people of old.
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The Background of Ayah 25
The Place: Kaabah, the Holy House of Allah present in Mecca. (Type Kaaba if you want to see it on YouTube or see the appendix)
The Prophet Muhammad used to pray in Kaabah.
During prayer, the Muslims have to recite a piece of the Quran.
While He was praying, Muhammad was reciting the Quran. Not far from him, the unbelievers of Mecca used to watch Muhammad with their evil eyes.
A compamy of the chief and wealthy unbelievers of Mecca came close to the Prophet Muhammad while he was reciting the Quran aiming to listen to it.
A man of this company was an old man called Al-Nadr; he was famous of the knowledge of the history of the ancient people and the past nations. Al-Nadr used to talk abundantly about bygone nations.
After listening to the Quran, the company of the chief unbelievers sid: O Al-Nadr, what does Muhammad say?
He said: ‘I swear by Him who has made His House [the Kaabah], I do not know what he is saying, except that I see his lips moving, muttering something. But what he says is nothing but the fables of the people of old, like the stories I used to relate to you regarding bygone nations’.
Then, Allah, exalted is He, revealed the verse 6:25; it says:
And there were some of them, who listen to you, when you recite, and Allah has placed veils and covers, upon their hearts so that they do not understand it, so that they do not hear the Truth and guidance.
And there is heaviness in their ears, deafness, so that they do not hear it with a willingness to accept it.
And if they were to see every sign, they would not believe in it,
So that when they come to you to argue with you, the disbelievers say: ‘This Quran, is nothing but the fables, the lies and stories of people of old.’ similar to their jokes and strange tales of bygone nations.
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The verse 6:25 in different translations
QARIB:
some of them listen to you. but we have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and in their ears heaviness; and if they see every sign they do not believe in it. when they come to you they argue, the unbelievers say: ‘this is nothing but the tales of the ancient ones. ‘
SHAKIR:
and of them is he who hearkens to you, and we have cast veils over their hearts lest they understand it and a heaviness into their ears; and even if they see every sign they will not believe in it; so much so that when they come to you they only dispute with you; those who disbelieve say: this is naught but the stories of the ancients
PICKTHAL:
of them were some who listen unto thee, but we have placed upon their hearts veils, lest they should understand hate, and in their ears a deafness. if they saw every token they would not believe therein; to the point that, when they come unto thee to argue with thee, the disbelievers say: this is naught else than fables of the men of old.
YUSUFALI:
of them there were 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 in them; in so much that when they come to thee, they (but) dispute with thee; the unbelievers say: “these were nothing but tales of the ancients.”
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Appendix: These links show the Kaabah:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwefpx8d5qc
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