Why did the polytheists not object when the verse was revealed: "And We have certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah,'" even though they had been without a messenger for approximately 600 years, and what did they understand from it?

The polytheists did not object because the verse "And there is no nation but that there has passed within it a warner" is general yet specified to the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who are the people of the fatrah (interim period), as clarified by His Almighty's saying: "That you may warn a people whose fathers were not warned, so they are unaware." Its meaning is that there is no nation but that a messenger was sent to it to warn it, except for the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Some scholars have answered that the call of the messengers before Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was well-known among the Arabs, and this is sufficient to establish proof against them. The verse implies that the people of the fatrah are held accountable, due to the remaining effects of the previous messengers among them.