Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 104

Mufti Taqi Usmani

O you who believe, do not say Rā‘inā, but say UnZurnā, and listen, as there is a grievous punishment for the unbelievers.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

O believers! Do not say, “Râ’ina.” [Herd us!] But say, “Unẓurna,” [Tend to us!] and listen ˹attentively˺.[[ Some of the disbelievers used to  play with words when they addressed the Prophet (ﷺ) in order to ridicule him. So instead of saying, râ’ina “listen to us,” they would say, râ’îna “our shepherd” or “the foolish among us.” They would say loudly, “We listen,” then whisper, “but we disobey!” and say, “Hear us,” then, “may you never hear!” They used to say to each other, “If he had truly been a prophet of Allah, he would have known that we are mocking him.” Therefore, this verse (along with {4:46}) was revealed commanding the believers to avoid such words altogether. Better words are recommended.]] And the disbelievers will suffer a painful punishment.

Ruwwad Translation Center

O you who believe, do not say, “Rā‘inā.” [consider our situation!] But say, “Unzhurnā,” [wait for us!] and listen. And for the disbelievers there will be a painful torment.

A. J. Arberry

O believers, do not say, 'Observe us,' but say, 'Regard us'; and give ear; for unbelievers awaits a painful chastisement.

Abdul Haleem

Believers, do not say [to the Prophet], ‘Raina,’ but say, ‘Unzurna,’ and listen [to him]: an agonizing torment awaits those who ignore [God’s words].

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

O O Ye who believe! say not: Ra'ina, but say: Unzurna, and hearken; and unto the infidel shall be a torment afflictive.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

O ye of Faith! Say not (to the Messenger) words of ambiguous import, but words of respect; and hearken (to him); To those without Faith is a grievous punishment.

Abul Ala Maududi

O Believers, do not say. "Ra 'ina" but say, "Unzurna " and listen a to what is said; for the disbelievers deserve a painful punishment.

Ahmed Ali

Say not (to the Prophet), O Believers: "Have regard for us (ra'ina)," but "look at us (unzurna)," and obey him in what he says. Painful is the nemesis for disbelievers.

Ahmed Raza Khan

O People who Believe, do not say (to the Prophet Mohammed- peace and blessings be upon him), “Raena (Be considerate towards us)” but say, “Unzurna (Look mercifully upon us)", and listen attentively from the start; and for the disbelievers is a painful punishment. (To disrespect the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – is blasphemy.)

Ali Quli Qarai

O you who have faith! Do not say Ra‘ina, but say Unzurna, and listen! And there is a painful punishment for the faithless.

Ali Ünal

O you who believe! Do not say (in your relationship and conversations with God’s Messenger,) ra‘ina (please attend to us), but say, unzurna (favor us with your attention), and pay heed to him. (And be assured that) for the unbelievers (who are disrespectful to God’s Messenger) is a painful punishment.

Amatul Rahman Omar

O you who believe! say not (while addressing the Prophet), `Râ`inâ!´ (listen to us - a word used also for showing disrespect for the person addressed), rather say (an equivocal phrase), `Unzurna!´ (- we beg your attention), and listen to him attentively, (that you stand not in need of any such phrases that have double meanings, one in a good sense, the other in a bad one). Indeed there awaits the disbelievers a grievous punishment.

English Literal

You, you those who believed, do not say: "Observe us ." And say: "Give us time And hear/listen, and to the disbelievers (is) a painful torture.

Faridul Haque

O People who Believe, do not say (to the Prophet Mohammed- peace and blessings be upon him), "Raena (Be considerate towards us)" but say, "Unzurna (Look mercifully upon us)", and listen attentively from the start; and for the disbelievers is a painful punishment. (To disrespect the Holy Prophet – peace and blessings be upon him – is blasphemy.)

Hamid S. Aziz

O you men of faith! Say not "rahina" (a word having ambiguous meanings, including "attend to us") but say "unthurna" (an unambiguous word having the same meaning), but words of respect and hearken; for to disbelievers shall be grievous woe.

Hilali & Khan

O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger Peace be upon him) Ra'ina but say Unzurna (Do make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment. (See Verse 4:46)

Maulana Mohammad Ali

0 you who believe, say not Raina and say Unzur-na, and listen. And for the disbelievers there is a painful chastisement.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

O you who believe! do not say Raina and say Unzurna and listen, and for the unbelievers there is a painful chastisement.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

O ye who believe, say not (unto the Prophet): "Listen to us" but say "Look upon us," and be ye listeners. For disbelievers is a painful doom.

Muhammad Sarwar

Believers, do not address the Prophet as ra'ina (whereby the Jews, in their own accent, meant: Would that you would never hear, but call him unzurna) (meaning: Please speak to us slowly so that we understand), and then listen. The unbelievers will face a painful torment.

Qaribullah & Darwish

'Believers, do not say 'Observe us (Ra'ina, in Hebrew means evil) ', but instead say: "Look after us (Undhurna), and listen' for the unbelievers is a painful punishment.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger) Ra`ina but say Unzurna (make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment.

Wahiduddin Khan

Believers, do not say to the Prophet, "Ra'ina" but say, "Unzurna," and listen to him with attention. For those who deny the truth, there is a painful punishment.

Talal Itani

O you who believe! Do not say ambiguous words, but say words of respect, and listen. The disbelievers will have a painful torment.

Tafsir jalalayn

O you who believe, do not say, to the Prophet (s), `Observe us', (r`in is an imperative form from mur`t) which they used to say to him, and this was a derogatory term in Hebrew, derived from the noun al-ru`na [`thoughtlessness']. They found this very amusing and used to address the Prophet (s) in this way, and so the believers were forbidden to use it; but say, instead, `Regard us', that is, look at us, and give ear, to what you are commanded and be prepared to accept it; and for disbelievers awaits a painful chastisement, that is, the Fire.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Manners in Speech

Allah says;

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَقُولُواْ رَاعِنَا وَقُولُواْ انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُواْ

وَلِلكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ



O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger) Ra`ina but say Unzurna (make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment. (2;104)

Allah forbade His believing servants from imitating the behavior and deeds of the disbelievers. The Jews used to use devious words that hide what they really meant. May Allah's curse be upon them.

When they wanted to say, `hear us,' they would use the word Ra`ina, which is an insult (in Hebrew, but means `hear us' in Arabic).

Allah said,

مِّنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُواْ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَعِنَا لَيّاً بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْناً فِى الدِّينِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانْظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْراً لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَكِن لَّعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَ يُوْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً

Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from (their) right places and say;"We hear your word (O Muhammad) and disobey," and "Hear and let you (O Muhammad) hear nothing."

And Ra`ina with a twist of their tongues and as a mockery of the religion (Islam). And if only they had said;"We hear and obey," and "Do make us understand," it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allah cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not except a few. (4;46)

Also, the Hadiths stated that;

when they would greet Muslims, they would say, `As-Samu alaykum,' meaning, `death be to you'. This is why we were commanded to answer them by saying, `Wa alaykum,' meaning, `and to you too', then our supplication against them shall be answered, rather than theirs against us.

Allah forbade the believers from imitating the disbelievers in tongue or deed.

Allah said,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواْ لَا تَقُولُواْ رَاعِنَا وَقُولُواْ انظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُواْ

وَلِلكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ


O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger) Ra`ina but say Unzurna (make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment.

Also, Imam Ahmad narrated that Ibn Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said,

بُعِثْتُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ بِالسَّيْفِ حَتَّى يُعْبَدَاللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَجُعِلَ رِزْقِي تَحْتَ ظِلِّ رُمْحِي وَجُعِلَتِ الذِّلَّةُ وَالصَّغَارُ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَ أَمْرِي وَمَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَومٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُم

I was sent with the sword just before the Last Hour, so that Allah is worshipped alone without partners. My sustenance was provided for me from under the shadow of my spear. Those who oppose my command were humiliated and made inferior, and whoever imitates a people, he is one of them.

Abu Dawud narrated that the Prophet said,

مَنْ تَشَبَّهَ بِقَوْمٍ فَهُوَ مِنْهُم

Whoever imitates a people is one of them.

These Hadiths indicate, along with their threats and warnings, that we are not allowed to imitate the disbelievers in their statements, deeds, clothes, feasts, acts of worship, etc., whatever actions of the disbelievers that were not legislated for us.

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,
لَا تَقُولُواْ رَاعِنَا
(Say not (to the Messenger) Ra`ina),

"They used to say to the Prophet, Ar`ina samak(which is an insult)."

Ibn Abu Hatim said that it was reported that Abu Al-Aliyah, Abu Malik, Ar-Rabi bin Anas, Atiyah Al-Awfi and Qatadah said similarly.

Further, Mujahid said,

"`Do not say Ra`ina' means, `Do not dispute'."

Mujahid said in another narration,

"Do not say, `We hear from you, and you hear from us."'

Also, Ata'said,

"Do not say,
رَاعِنَا
(Ra`ina), which was a dialect that the Ansar used and which was forbidden from use by Allah."

Also, As-Suddi said,

"Rifaah bin Zayd, a Jewish man from the tribe of Qaynuqa, used to come to the Prophet and say to him, `Hear, Ghayr Musma'in (let you hear nothing).'

The Muslims used to think that the Prophets are greeted and honored with this type of speech, and this is why some of them used to say, `Hear, let you hear nothing,' and so on, as mentioned in Surah An-Nisa."

Thereafter, Allah forbade the believers from uttering the word Ra`ina."

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam also said similarly.
The extreme Enmity that the Disbelievers and the People of the Book have against Muslims

Allah said next,