'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said: "And those who disbelieved said, 'This is nothing but a falsehood he has invented, and other people have assisted him in it.' They have come with wrongdoing and falsehood." "And they said, 'Legends of the ancients; he has written them down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon.'" "Say, 'It was revealed by He who knows the secret in the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He was Forgiving and Merciful.'" The intended meaning of "those who disbelieved" is Quraysh. This is because some of them said: 'This is a lie that Muhammad has invented.' The people differed regarding those who assisted Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, according to the claim of Quraysh. Mujahid said: They referred to a group of Jews. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: They referred to slaves who were of the Arabs from the Persians, one of them being Abu Fakiha, a freedman of the Hadramis, and Jabir, Yasaar, and Addas, among others. Then Allah, the Exalted, informed about them that they came only with sin and falsehood, meaning: They said nothing but slander and falsehood. And 'falsehood' is the embellishment of what is false; this is its known meaning, and its origin is the embellishment in general. From this is the saying of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: 'I intended to present a statement before Abu Bakr that I had forged.' And His saying, the Exalted, "And they said, 'Legends of the ancients,'" Ibn Abbas said: This refers to the words of Al-Nadr ibn Al-Harith. This is because they said: 'Everything in the Qur'an that mentions the legends of the ancients is due to Al-Nadr ibn Al-Harith, who is well-known for that.' Then they accused Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, of having written them down. Talhah ibn Musarif read: 'It was written down for him' with the first 'ta' having a dammah and the second being kasrah, meaning: it was written down for him, as Abu Al-Fath mentioned. And Talhah read: 'It is recited' with a 'ta' instead of the 'meem.' Then Allah, the Exalted, commanded that he say: 'The One who revealed it is Allah, who knows the secret of all things in the heavens and the earth.' Then He made it known that He is Forgiving and Merciful, so that every listener may hope in His pardon and mercy along with repentance and turning back. The meaning is that Allah is Forgiving and Merciful in His keeping of those who hold these sayings and disbelief, so that perhaps they may believe.