15إِذا تُتلىٰ عَلَيهِ آياتُنا قالَ أَساطيرُ الأَوَّلينَMuhammad Asadthat, whenever Our messages are conveyed to him, such a one says, "Fables of ancient times"?1The term banun (lit., "children" or "sons") is often used in the Qur'an metonymically, denoting "popular support" or "many adherents"; in conjunction with the term mal ("worldly goods") it is meant to illustrate a certain mentality which attributes a pseudo-religious significance to wealth and influence, and regards these visible signs of worldly success as a post-factum evidence of the "righteousness" of the person concerned and, hence, of his not being in need of further guidance.