But the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, "This is not but a man like yourselves who wishes to take precedence over you; and if Allāh had willed [to send a messenger], He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers.
Verse 24 of Surah Al-Mu’minun (23:24), a Meccan surah, is in juz 18, on page 343 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 24 of Surah Al-Mu’minun
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Tafsir of verse 24
Al-Mukhtasar
So the noblemen and leaders from his people who disbelieved in Allah said to their followers and the masses, “This man that claims to be a messenger is only a human like yourselves; he only desires leadership and rule over you. If Allah wished to send a messenger to you He would have done so by sending one from the angels, not from the humans. We have not heard anything like what he is claiming from our predecessors!”
The disbelieving chiefs of his people said, “This is only a man like yourselves who wants to be superior to you. If Allah had willed, He could have sent down angels. We have not heard such a thing from our forefathers.
But the chiefs of his people who disbelieved said: "He is no more than a human being like you, he seeks to make himself superior to you. Had Allâh willed, He surely could have sent down angels. Never did we hear such a thing among our fathers of old.
But the chieftains of his folk, who disbelieved, said: This is only a mortal like you who would make himself superior to you. Had Allah willed, He surely could have sent down angels. We heard not of this in the case of our fathers of old.
The chiefs of the Unbelievers among his people said: "He is no more than a man like yourselves: his wish is to assert his superiority over you: if Allah had wished (to send messengers), He could have sent down angels; never did we hear such a thing (as he says), among our ancestors of old."
And the chiefs of those who disbelieved from among his people said: He is nothing but a mortal like yourselves who desires that he may have superiority over you, and if Allah had pleased, He could certainly have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our fathers of yore:
Then said the chiefs who disbelieved among his people, "In no way is this anything except a mortal like yourselves, who would like to be graced with (superiority) (Literally: assume graciousness) over you. And if Allah had (so) decided, He would indeed have sent down Angels. In no way did we hear of this among our earliest fathers.
So the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, "We do not see you but as a man like ourselves, and we do not see you followed except by those who are the lowest of us [and] at first suggestion. And we do not see in you over us any merit; rather, we think you are liars."
But when Moses came to them with Our signs as clear evidences, they said, "This is not except invented magic, and we have not heard of this [religion] among our forefathers."
And the eminent among his people who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter while We had given them luxury in the worldly life said, "This is not but a man like yourselves. He eats of that from which you eat and drinks of what you drink.
