Allah tells us how Quraysh and the Arabs swore by Allah their most binding oath before the Messenger came to them,

﴿لَئِن جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ لَّيَكُونُنَّ أَهْدَى مِنْ إِحْدَى الاٍّمَمِ﴾

(that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations;) i.e., than any of the nations to whom Messengers had been sent. This was the view of Ad-Dahhak and others. This is like the Ayat:

﴿أَن تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ الْكِتَـبُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ مِن قَبْلِنَا وَإِن كُنَّا عَن دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَـفِلِينَ أَوْ تَقُولُواْ لَوْ أَنَّآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَـبُ لَكُنَّآ أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّن كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِ اللَّهِ وَصَدَفَ عَنْهَا﴾

(Lest you (pagan Arabs) 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. Who then does more wrong than one who rejects the Ayat of Allah and turns away therefrom) (6:156-157)

﴿وَإِن كَانُواْ لَيَقُولُونَ - لَوْ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكْراً مِّنَ الاٌّوَّلِينَ ﴾

﴿لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ - فَكَفَرُواْ بِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

(And indeed they (Arab pagans) used to say: "If we had a reminder as had the men of old, We would have indeed been the chosen servants of Allah!'' But they disbelieve therein, so they will come to know!) (37:167-170) Allah says:

﴿فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ﴾

(yet when a warner came to them,) -- meaning, Muhammad with the Book revealed to him, i.e., the Clear Qur'an,

﴿مَّا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ نُفُوراً﴾

(it increased in them nothing but flight (from the truth).) means, they only increased in their disbelief. Then Allah explains this further:

﴿اسْتِكْبَاراً فِى الاٌّرْضِ﴾

((They took to flight because of their) arrogance in the land) means, they were too arrogant to follow the signs of Allah.

﴿وَمَكْرَ السَّيِّىءِ﴾

(and their plotting of evil.) means, they plotted to prevent people from following the path of Allah.

﴿وَلاَ يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّىءُ إِلاَّ بِأَهْلِهِ﴾

(But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it.) means, the evil consequences of that will come back upon them and not on others.

﴿فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ سُنَّةَ آلاٌّوَّلِينَ﴾

(Then, can they expect anything (else) but the Sunnah (way of dealing) of the peoples of old) meaning, the punishment of Allah for disbelieving in His Messengers and going against His command.

﴿وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلاً﴾

(and no turning off will you find in Allah's Sunnah.) means, it does not change or alter, and this is what happens to every disbeliever.

﴿وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلاً﴾

(and no turning off will you find in Allah's Sunnah.) means,

﴿وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلاَ مَرَدَّ لَهُ﴾

(But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it) (13:11). This means, no one can remove that from them or ward it off from them. And Allah knows best.

﴿أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَيَنظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَكَانُواْ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعْجِزَهُ مِن شَىْءٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَلاَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَلِيماً قَدِيراً - وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُواْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَى ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَـكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيراً ﴾

(44. Have they not traveled in the land, and seen what was the end of those before them -- though they were superior to them in power Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him. Verily, He is All-Knowing, All-Able.) (45. And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving creature on the surface of the earth; but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His servants.)