ولوﻻ أن تصيبهم مصيبة بما قدمت أيديهم فيقولوا ربنا لوﻻ أرسلت إلينا رسوﻻ
And if (We had) not (sent you to the people of Makkah) -- in case a calamity should seize them for (the deeds) that their hands have sent forth, they would have said: "Our Lord! Why did You not send us a Messenger!
meaning: `and We have sent you to them to establish proof against them, and to give them no excuse when the punishment of Allah comes to them because of their disbelief, lest they offer the excuse that no Messenger or warner came to them.'
This is like what Allah says about the situation after He revealed His blessed Book the Qur'an:
أن تقولوا إنما أنزل الكتاب على طايفتين من قبلنا وإن كنا عن دراستهم لغافلين
أو تقولوا لو أنا أنزل علينا الكتاب لكنا أهدى منهم
فقد جاءكم بينة من ربكم وهدى ورحمة
Lest you should say: "The Book was sent down only to two sects before us, and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.''
Or lest you should say: "If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they.''
So, now has come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy... (6:156-157)
رسﻼ مبشرين ومنذرين ليﻼ يكون للناس على الله حجة بعد الرسل
Messengers as bearers of good news as well as warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. (4:165)
يٲهل الكتب قد جاءكم رسولنا يبين لكم على فترة من الرسل أن تقولوا ما جاءنا من بشير وﻻ نذير فقد جاءكم بشير ونذير
O People of the Scripture!
Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say: "There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner.'' But now has come unto you a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. (5:19)
And there are many similar Ayat.
فنتبع آياتك ونكون من المومنين
We would then have followed Your Ayat and would have been among the believers.''