Al-Baqarah: (104) O you who believe...

Know that after Allah, the Exalted, explained the ugliness of their actions before the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him), He now intends to explain the ugliness of their actions upon the mission of Muhammad (PBUH), and their effort and striving to defame him and attack his religion. This is the first category in this section. Herein lie several issues:

Issue 1:

Know that Allah, the Exalted, addressed the believers with the saying: {That is because those who disbelieve} in eighty-eight places in the Qur'an. Ibn Abbas said: In the Torah, He used to address them by saying: "O you poor ones (Al-Masakin)." It is as if Allah, the Exalted, after first addressing them as "the poor ones," affirmed this poverty for them later when He said: {And there was cast upon them humiliation and neediness} (Al-Baqarah: 61). This indicates that when Allah first addressed this Ummah with faith, He grants them security from the punishment of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection. Furthermore, the name "Believer" (Mu'min) is the noblest of names and attributes. If He addresses us in this world with the noblest names and attributes, we hope from His grace that He will treat us with the best treatment in the Hereafter.

Issue 2:

It is not impossible for Allah to forbid one of two synonymous words while permitting the other. Therefore, according to Imam Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him), prayer is not valid if Surah Al-Fatiha is translated, whether in Hebrew or Persian. Thus, it is not unlikely that Allah forbade the word {Rāʿinā} (Ra'ina) and permitted the word {Unẓurnā} (Unzur-na), even if they are synonymous.

However, the majority of commentators hold that Allah only forbade {Rāʿinā} because it contained a type of corruption. They mentioned several interpretations for this:

1. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited some knowledge to the Muslims, they would say to him: "Rāʿinā, O Messenger of Allah." The Jews had a Hebrew word similar to this, (Rāʿīnā), which meant: "Listen, may you not hear!" When they heard the believers saying "Rāʿinā," they adopted it and addressed the Prophet with it while intending that insult. Therefore, the believers were forbidden from it, and they were commanded to use another phrase, which is {Unẓurnā}. The validity of this interpretation is supported by Allah’s saying in Surah An-Nisa: {And they say, "We hear and disobey," and "Hear, not hearing," and "Rāʿinā" with a twist of their tongues and as a slander to the religion} (An-Nisa: 46). It is narrated that Sa'd ibn Mu'adh heard this from them and said: "O enemies of Allah, may the curse of Allah be upon you! By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if I hear any one of you saying this to the Messenger of Allah, I will strike his neck." They replied, "Do you not say it?" Then this verse was revealed.

2. Qutrub said: Although this word has a correct meaning, the people of Hijaz only used it when mocking or jesting. Therefore, it is only right that Allah forbade it.

3. The Jews used to say: "Rāʿīnā," meaning, "You are the shepherd of our sheep." So Allah forbade them from it.

4. The word (Rāʿinā) is derived from mufāʿalah (reciprocity) of Rai (tending/shepherding) between two parties. This word suggested equality between the speakers, as if they were saying: "Attend to us so that we may attend to you." So Allah forbade them from it and clarified that it is necessary to revere the Prophet (PBUH) in address, as He said: {Do not make the Messenger's call among you like the call of one of you to another} (An-Nur: 63).

5. The word (Rāʿinā) implies address coupled with superiority, as if saying: "Attend to my speech, do not be heedless of it, and do not busy yourself with anything else." In (Unẓurnā), there is only a request for waiting, as if they were saying to him: "Pause in your speech and explanation for the time it takes us to grasp all of it."

6. The word (Rāʿinā) is on the pattern of ʿāṭinā (from muʿāṭāh - giving and taking) and rāmūnā (from murāmah - throwing at each other). Then they inverted this nūn (the second letter) to the original nūn and made it a word derived from ruʿūnah (foolishness/rashness). Thus, Rāʿin is the active participle from ruʿūnah, and perhaps they intended the verbal noun (Masdar). Like their saying ʿiyādhā bika (seeking refuge in you), meaning aʿūdhu ʿiyādhā bika (I seek refuge seeking refuge in you). So their saying Rāʿinā means: "You have committed an act of foolishness." Or perhaps they intended: "You have become rāʿin," meaning, "You have become foolish." Since they intended these corrupt meanings, it is only right that Allah forbade this word.

7. It could mean: Do not say a word, Rāʿinā, meaning: a word attributed to foolishness, in the sense of rāʿin (foolish), like tāmir (one who eats dates) and lābin (one who plays).

As for His saying {and say Unẓurnā}, there are several interpretations:

1. It is from naẓara (to look/wait). Allah says: {Wait for us, we will take of your light} (Al-Hadid: 13). So Allah commanded them to ask for respite so they could receive from him, thus not needing to ask for delay. If it is asked: Did the Prophet (PBUH) hasten things so they had to say this? The answer has two aspects:
   • This word can be said during speech even if there is no haste necessitating it, like a man saying "Listen" or "I heard" during a conversation.
   • They interpreted His saying {Move not your tongue therewith to hasten it} (Al-Qiyamah: 16) as meaning that the Prophet (PBUH) used to hasten reciting what Gabriel (PBUH) revealed to him out of eagerness to receive the revelation and the Qur'an. So it was said to him: {Move not your tongue therewith to hasten it}. It is not unlikely that he would hasten in what he informed his companions about religion, out of eagerness to hasten their understanding. So they used to ask him in this situation to grant them respite in his address until they understood all of what he said.

2. {Unẓurnā} means "Look at us" (Unẓur ilaynā), but the preposition ilā (to/at) was omitted, as in His saying: {And Moses chose from his people seventy men} (Al-A'raf: 155), meaning "from his people." The intent here is that when a teacher looks at the student, his delivery of speech in a manner that ensures understanding and clarification is more apparent and stronger.

3. Ubayy ibn Ka'b recited it as (Anẓirnā), from naẓrah (respite), meaning: "Grant us respite."

As for His saying {and listen}, hearing, when the sense organ is sound, is a necessary outcome beyond human capability, so commanding it is not permissible. Therefore, the intended meaning is one of three things:

1. Devote your hearing to what the Prophet (PBUH) says so that you do not need to ask for delay.
2. Listen with the hearing of acceptance and obedience, and let your hearing not be like the hearing of the Jews who said: "We hear and disobey."
3. Listen to what you are commanded so that you do not revert to what you are forbidden from, as an emphasis upon them.

Then Allah clarified the painful punishment awaiting the disbelievers among the People of the Book and the polytheists if they do not follow this manner of reverence, veneration, attention to what is said, and contemplation of what is said with the Messenger. The meaning of {painful punishment} has already been mentioned.

7 < {Neither those who disbelieve from the People of the Book nor the polytheists wish that anything good should be sent down to you from your Lord. But Allah singles out for His mercy whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of great bounty.} > 7

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