يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَقُولُوا۟ رَٰعِنَا وَقُولُوا۟ ٱنظُرْنَا وَٱسْمَعُوا۟ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“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.” — M. M. Pickthall
According to Zemahşerî, this expression describes a prohibition directed at Allah's servants; it is as if it were said 'did Allah not say to them: do not say anything other than the truth about Allah?' The text also raises the question of what the next expression refers to.
نهيا ، كأنه قيل : ألم يقل لهم لا تقولوا على الله إلا الحق ؟ فإن قلت : علام عطف قوله :According to this exegete, there are three views regarding who the phrase 'do you wish to question your messenger?' in the verse is directed at: that it is addressed to the Muslims (in the sense of asking unnecessary questions or that the polytheists demand something like 'zâtu envât'), that it is addressed to the Mecca polytheists (based on the report that Abdullah b. Umayya asked the Prophet for a miracle), and that it is addressed to the Jews. Râzî finds the third view, namely that it is addressed to the Jews, more authentic.
القول الثالث : المراد اليهود ، وهذا القول أصح لأن هذه السورة من أول قولهAccording to Kurtubî, the word 'raina' was prohibited because of the Jews' ambiguous use of it (being likened to an insulting word in Hebrew), and the believers were taught to say 'unzurna' instead. The original meaning of the word in Arabic is a request meaning 'look at us, regard our condition'; however, by changing the word form, the Jews' opportunity to mock using this word was eliminated.
والظاهر استدعاء نظر العين المقترن بتدبر الحال وهذا هو معنى راعنا فبدلت اللفظة للمؤمنين وزال تعلق اليهودAccording to Ibn Kesîr, this verse describes how the Jews twisted and bent their tongues toward the Prophet (with expressions like 'râinâ') with both mockery and intent to criticize the religion; it is noted that they themselves were subject to a similar warning in the Torah. Additionally, the text emphasizes that those who do not believe and are not bound by the rulings of the Shari'ah cannot be considered safe from affliction and punishment; rather, they are awaited by painful punishment in both this world and the hereafter.
فقوله تعالى أي الذين لم يؤمنوا ولا التزموا بأحكام هذه الشريعة لا تعتقدوا أنهم ناجون من البلاء كلا ليس الأمر كما زعموا بل لهم عذاب اليم أي في الدنيا والآخرةAccording to Beydâvî, the word 'râinâ' was used by Muslims toward the Prophet meaning 'watch over us, give us time so that we may understand', while the Jews exploited this word by using it from the root 'ra'n' meaning 'foolishness' or by taking advantage of its similarity to a Hebrew word that is an insult among themselves, with the aim of dishonoring the Prophet. For this reason, believers were forbidden from using this word, and they were commanded to use the expression 'unzurnâ' which would convey the same meaning but would not be open to misunderstanding or misuse.
وكان المسلمون يقولون للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام راعنا أي راقبنا وتأن بنا فيما تلقننا حتى نفهمه، وسمع اليهود فافترصوه وخاطبوه به مريدين نسبته إلى الرعن، أو سبه بالكلمة العبرانية التي كانوا يتسابون بها وهي راعينا، فنهي المؤمنون عنها وأمروا بما يفيد تلك الفائدة ولا يقبل التلبيسAccording to this exegete, the address 'O you who believe in Allah and His Messenger' encompasses those who confirm what the prophets before Muhammad brought and what Muhammad brought from Allah, those who acknowledge Allah's oneness and the Messenger's prophethood. Furthermore, it is stated that the command to 'be patient' encompasses all aspects of the religion and obedience (easy and difficult, light and heavy), and that the command of 'mutual patience' means patience against the enmity of polytheist enemies.
وذلك أن الله لم يخصص من معاني الصبر على الدين والطاعة شيئا فيجوز إخراجه من ظاهر التنزيلCommon ground
Most of the exegetes emphasize the ambiguous nature of the expression 'râinâ': while Muslims intended it as a respectful request ('watch over us'), the Jews exploited it for mockery or insult. For this reason, the teaching that 'unzurnâ' should be used instead, and the connection of word choice to religious and social sensitivity, is a common emphasis.
Differences
While Zemahşerî addresses the matter more within the framework of rhetoric and the problem of attribution, Kurtubî and Beydâvî place emphasis on linguistic root analysis and foreground the Hebrew connotations of the word. Ibn Kesîr, with a narration-focused reading, supports the cause of revelation and the parallel warning in the Torah with hadith chains. Râzî, on the other hand, discusses three possibilities regarding who the verse is addressed to (Muslims, Mecca polytheists, Jews) and prefers the Jews view through contextual evidence; in a different passage, Taberî focuses on the concept of patience through the grammatical form (mufâ'ala). These differences reflect methodological diversity between linguistic/rhetorical approaches and narration/hadith-focused approaches.
Historical context
While early-period exegetes like Taberî used narration and linguistic analysis together, later-period exegetes like Zemahşerî and Beydâvî gave greater weight to rhetoric and linguistic subtlety. Kurtubî and Ibn Kesîr, by blending the views of linguists with narrations, followed a synthesizing path. Over time, the fundamental interpretation (the exploitation of the word and the teaching of politeness) remained constant, only the method of evidence and points of emphasis varied.
This comparison draws attention to how words and expressions can be misunderstood in different contexts, and therefore to the importance of politeness and caution in communication. In environments of social solidarity and dialogue, avoiding speech and behavior that might offend the other party can be considered a requirement of both individual morality and healthy social relations. This context can also be read as a lesson that reminds us of the value of choosing words with knowledge and wisdom, of establishing tolerant communication.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar