74 Preface ثُمَّ بَعَثنا مِن بَعدِهِ رُسُلًا إِلىٰ قَومِهِم فَجاءوهُم بِالبَيِّناتِ فَما كانوا لِيُؤمِنوا بِما كَذَّبوا بِهِ مِن قَبلُ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نَطبَعُ عَلىٰ قُلوبِ المُعتَدينَYusuf AliThen after him We sent (many) messengers to their peoples: they brought them Clear Signs, but they would not believe what they had already rejected1 beforehand. Thus do We seal the hearts of the transgressors. I understand the meaning to be that there is a sort of spiritual influence descending from generation to generation, among the Unbelievers as among the men of Faith. In history we find the same spiritual problems in many ages-denial of God’s grace, defiance of God’s law, rejection of God’s Message. These influences cause the hearts of the contumacious to be sealed and impervious to the Truth. Cf. 2:7 and notes. What they do is to prejudge the issues even before the Prophet explains them, (see also 6:46).