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Al-Baqarah 104

Ayah 104 of 286 · Medinan

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَقُولُواْ رَٰعِنَا وَقُولُواْ ٱنظُرۡنَا وَٱسۡمَعُواْۗ وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ١٠٤

O you who have believed, say not [to Allāh's Messenger], "Rāʿinā" but say, "Unẓurnā"1 and listen. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.

Translation: Saheeh International (English)

1 The word "rāʿinā" in Arabic literally means "consider us," i.e., give us time to hear you and listen to us. The Jews used to use the same word with the meaning of an insult. Therefore, the believers were ordered to avoid this expression and use instead the word "unẓurnā," i.e., "wait for us [so that we may understand]."

Word by word

Each word's meaning and sound

  1. يَٰٓأَيُّهَاO youyāayyuhā
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who(believe)alladhīna
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieveāmanū
  4. لَا(Do) notlā
  5. تَقُولُواْsaytaqūlū
  6. رَٰعِنَاRainarāʿinā
  7. وَقُولُواْand saywaqūlū
  8. ٱنظُرۡنَاUnzurnaunẓur'nā
  9. وَٱسۡمَعُواْۗand listenwa-is'maʿū
  10. وَلِلۡكَٰفِرِينَAnd for the disbelieverswalil'kāfirīna
  11. عَذَابٌ(is) a punishmentʿadhābun
  12. أَلِيمٞpainfulalīmun

Tafsir

Allah directs the believers to choose their words carefully, telling them not to say ‘rā‘inā’, meaning ‘look after us’ or ‘shepherd us’, when addressing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), because some of the Jews would mock what they said, twisting the words when addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him) themselves, corrupting its meaning to mean ‘foolish’ or ‘evil’. So, Allah told them not to use these words in order to prevent such mockery. He instructed them to say ‘unẓurnā’ instead, meaning ‘watch over us’, because the use of this word has no negative implications. Without doubt, the disbelievers in Allah will have a painful torment.

Al-Mukhtasar in interpreting the Noble Quran