If Ibn al-Ziba'rā’s objection was invalid, then these people’s objection is even more invalid. It was invalid before the Quran was revealed and before Allah answered them. What was revealed in the Quran clarified its invalidity, which was already an established fact and could be known through reason. For when Allah said:

“Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah” [al-Anbiyā’: 98],

He was addressing only the polytheists who worshipped idols, not the People of the Book.

Indeed, the Meccan verses generally address those who reject messengers altogether. The passages addressing those among the People of the Book and the believers who acknowledge messengership in principle occur in the Medinan surahs.

The Quran distinguishes between the polytheists and the People of the Book in several places, as in His words:

“Those who disbelieved among the People of the Book and the polytheists were not…” [al-Bayyinah: 1].

And His words:

“Indeed, those who have believed, the Jews, the Sabians, the Christians, the Magians, and the polytheists” [al-Hajj: 17].

And His words to them:

“Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah” [al-Anbiyā’: 98],

[Fifth argument]

are comparable to His words:

“Lest you say, ‘The Scripture was revealed only to two groups before us, and we were indeed unaware of their study of it.’” [al-An‘ām: 156].