Nay, but they said what the former used to say.
They said what their ancestors said.
No, but they said what the ancients said before them
Nay, they say the like of what the ancients said
But they said similar/equal (to) what the first/beginners said
Their response (to the Lord’s invitation) is the same as their forefathers’ saying
On the contrary, they said the same as what the former people used to say
But they say things similar to what the former people said
But these people (too) utter similar words that the former (disbelievers) used to utter
But (rather than trying to understand) they repeated what the former people had said
Nay, but they say the like of what the men of old said