24 Preface فَقالَ المَلَأُ الَّذينَ كَفَروا مِن قَومِهِ ما هٰذا إِلّا بَشَرٌ مِثلُكُم يُريدُ أَن يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيكُم وَلَو شاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَنزَلَ مَلائِكَةً ما سَمِعنا بِهٰذا في آبائِنَا الأَوَّلينَAhmed AliThe chiefs of his people, who did not believe, said: “He is only a man like you. He wishes to acquire ascendancy over you. If God had willed He would have sent down angels. We never heard this from our elders.