Al-An'am 6:156

<h2>The Qur'an is Allah's Proof Against His Creation</h2><p>Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah, "The Ayah means, this is a Book that We sent down, so that you do not say,</p><p>إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا</p><p>("The Book was sent down only to two sects before us.") This way, you will have no excuse. Allah said in another Ayah,</p><p>وَلَوْلا أَن تُصِيبَهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُواْ رَبَّنَا لَوْلا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولاً فَنَتِّبِعَ ءايَـتِكَ</p><p>(Otherwise, they would have suffered a calamity because of what their hands sent forth, and said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger We would then have followed Your Ayat.")28:47." The Ayah,</p><p>عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا</p><p>(to two sects before us) refers to the Jews and Christians, according to `Ali bin Abi Talhah who narrated it from Ibn `Abbas. Similar was reported from Mujahid, As-Suddi, Qatadah and several others. Allah's statement,</p><p>وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ</p><p>("...and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.") meaning: `we did not understand what they said because the revelation was not in our tongue. We, indeed, were busy and unaware of their message,' so they said. Allah said next,</p><p>أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ</p><p>(Or lest …

Lest ye should say: The Scripture was revealed only to two sects before us, and we in sooth were unaware of what they read;

Lest ye should say: "The Book was sent down to two Peoples before us, and for our part, we remained unacquainted with all that they learned by assiduous study:"

Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied."

Lest you say, “The Scripture was revealed to two parties before us, and we were unaware of their teachings.”