بَلْ قَالُوا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُونَ
And talk as did the people of old.
(Instead of using their reason), they only speak as the former (disbelieving) peoples spoke.
But (rather than trying to understand) they repeated what the former people had said.
But nay, they speak as the people of olden times did speak:
Aye! they say the like of that which said the ancients.
On the contrary, they said the same as what the former people used to say.
And He it is Who gives you life and death; and His is the alternation of the night and the day; have you then no sense?
But they said similar/equal (to) what the first/beginners said.
On the contrary they just say what their forefathers said before them,
And He it is Who gives life and causes death, and His is the alternation of the night and the day. Do you not then understand?
They say exactly the same thing as the people who lived before.
Nay, but they say the like of that which said the men of old;
Nay, they say the like of what the ancients said:
Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said.
On the contrary they say things similar to what the ancients said.