Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not say [to the Prophet], "Listen to us," but rather say, "Have patience with us," and hearken [unto him], since grievous suffering awaits those who deny the truth
M. M. 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
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
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
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
O believers! Do not say, “Râ’ina.” But say, “Unẓurna,” and listen ˹attentively˺. And the disbelievers will suffer a painful punishment.
Safi Kaskas
Believers do not say, "Listen to us," but rather say, "Have patience and listen to us." Those who reject the truth will have a painful punishment.
Wahiduddin Khan
Believers, do not say to the Prophet, Raina but say, Unzurna, and listen to him with attention.[1] For those who deny the truth, there is a painful punishment
Shakir
O you who believe! do not say Raina and say Unzurna and listen, and for the unbelievers there is a painful chastisement
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
O those who believed! Say not: Look at us, but say: Wait for us patiently and hear. And for the ones who are ungrateful, there is a painful punishment.
T.B.Irving
You who believe, do not say: "Herd us,"; and say [instead]: "Watch over us," and [then] "Listen!" Disbelievers will have painful torment
Abdul Hye
O you who believe! Don’t say (to the prophet): “Raina” (pay attention to us) but say “Unzurna” (please look upon us) and listen. And for the disbelievers there is a painful punishment.
The Study Quran
O you who believe! Do not say, “Attend to us,” but say, “Regard us,” and listen! And the disbelievers shall have a painful punishment
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
O you who believe, don’t use words of disrespect, but speak in a manner that is honest, and listen carefully. The unbelievers will face severe punishment.
Talal Itani (2012)
O you who believe! Do not say ambiguous words, but say words of respect, and listen. The disbelievers will have a painful torment
Dr. Kamal Omar
O you people who have Believed! Say not Ra’ina but say Unzurna and listen. And for the disbelievers is a punishment grievous. [Both these words are used to say: ‘Pay attention to us’. But the word Ra’ina with a little twist of the tongue could be disrespectful to some one by adopting another meaning]
O Believers, do not say to our Messenger: "Ra'ina" (an ambiguous word for: "Listen, may you become deaf" or "Our shepherd" or in Judeo-Arabic language conveys the sense, "our evil one.") But say "Unzurna" ("look upon" us "or pay attention" to us) and listen to him carefully; and remember that there is a painful punishment for the unbelievers
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
O you who have believed, do not say, "Raaina" (This from of the verb was used by the Jews and had a derisive connotation in Hebrew. Here in means "heed us") and say, "Look upon us and listen, " (Literally: hear) and to the disbelievers is a painful torment
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
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
O you who believe, do not say Ra‘ina, but say UnZurna, and listen, as there is a grievous punishment for the unbelievers
Shabbir Ahmed
O You who have chosen to be graced with belief! Do not say (to the Prophet), "Listen to us." Instead, say, "Look upon us, or, grant us attention." And always be good listeners. There is a painful consequence for the rejecters of the Divine Commands. ('Ra'ina' also has another meaning to it, i.e. "Be our shepherd." Do not be vague and speak straight to the point (4:46), (33:70))
Dr. Munir Munshey
Oh you who believe! Do not say (to the messenger), "Rai´na" _ (´listen to us´ in Arabic, but an insult in Hebrew). Rather say, "Bear with us, and hear us out." There is a painful punishment for the unbelievers
Syed Vickar Ahamed
O you who believe! Do not say ambiguous words like Raina (an insult in Hebrew, to the Prophet); But (say) clearly words of respect like Unzurna; (Make us understand), and listen carefully (to him); For those without Faith, there is a painful punishment
O you who have believed, say not [to Allah 's Messenger], "Ra'ina" but say, "Unthurna" and listen. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
O you who believe, do not Say: "Shepherd us," but Say: "Be patient with us," and listen. For the rejecters is a painful retribution
Abdel 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
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
Aisha Bewley
You who have iman! do not say, ´Ra´ina,´* say, ´Undhurna,´* and listen well. The kafirun will have a painful punishment.
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
Ali Quli Qara'i
O you who have faith! Do not say Ra‘ina, but say Unurna, and listen! And there is a painful punishment for the faithless
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
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
You who believe, do not say: “Ra’ina (observe us, but with a slight twist of tongue means our fool or our evil),” but say: “Unzurna (look at us),” and listen (to this command). And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
O you people of faith, say not words of ambiguity, but words of respect, and act urgently. And for those without faith is a terrible punishment
Musharraf Hussain
Believers, do not say: “Ra’ina, but instead say: “Look at us, and listen carefully to him ”. As for the disbelievers, a painful punishment awaits.
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
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
O you who believe, do not say: "Shepherd us," but say: "Be patient with us," and listen. For the rejecters is a painful retribution.
Mohammad Shafi
O you who believe! Say not, "Raayinaa"h, but say, "Anzurnaa" and listen. And for those who suppress the Trut : a grievous punishment
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
O Men of faith do not say. Raina, but say humbly, respected Sir. "Look upon us" and from very beginning listen carefully, and for the disbeliveers is a grievous torment.
O you who believe, do not say, "Raa`ena" (be our shepherd). Instead, you should say, "Unzurna" (watch over us), and listen. The disbelievers have incurred a painful retribution.
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
'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
Maulana Muhammad Ali
0 you who believe, say not Raina and say Unzur-na, and listen. And for the disbelievers there is a painful chastisement
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
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
Bijan Moeinian
O’ believers, do not call the Prophet by the names which may be misinterpreted. Know that the disbelievers have to face an awful punishment
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.
Sher Ali
O ye who believe, say not to the Prophet `Ra'ina,' but say `Unzurna' and hearken unto him. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
O believers! (Seeking the kind attention of the Holy Prophet) do not say: ‘ra‘ina (Pay attention to us),’ but submit (most humbly): ‘unzurna (Bless us with your benevolent gaze),’ and be all ears (towards his gracious discourse). And there is grievous torment for the disbelievers
Amatul Rahman Omar
O you who believe! say not (while addressing the Prophet), `Ra`ina!' (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
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
O you who believe! Say not (to the Messenger Peace be upon him ) Raina but say Unzurna (Do make us understand) and hear. And for the disbelievers there is a painful torment. (See Verse 4:46
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
O you who believe! Do not say [unto the prophet], “Watch over us [Ra’ ina]” but say, “Look at us” and then hearken and as for the disbelievers, there will be a painful punishment.
Munir Mezyed
O’ you who live by Faith! don’t say (while addressing the Prophet): ‘Listen to us’, but instead say: ‘We need your full attention’, and then listen attentively. A painful chastisement awaits those are spiritually dead and blind.
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Oh you believers, do not say: pay attention to us!, but say: look at us! (drawing attention to yourselves in a polite way) and listen; for those who reject (the truth) there is a painful punishment.
Linda “iLHam” Barto
O Believers, do not say [to the Prophet], “Listen to us!” Instead, say, “Be patient with us,” and then listen to him. A harsh penalty is for the unbelievers.
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
O you who have attained faith, do not say ‘Ra'ina,’ but say, ‘Unthurna,’ and listen, for for the deniers is a painful punishment.
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
You who believe, do not say: "Herd us,"; and say [instead]: "Watch over us," and [then] "Listen!" Disbelievers will have painful torment
Samy Mahdy
O you who believed! Do not say "Ra'ina" (harebrained-us /Ambiguous words) and you shall say look upon us (words of respect) and listen. And the infidels will have a painful torment.
Ahmed Hulusi
O you who have believed, say not (to Allah’s Rasul), “Ra’ina” (‘watch out for us’: the Jews used this word with a particular accent and emphasis to mean ‘foolish’; this warning was made due to this insulting behavior) but say, “Unthurna” and listen. For the deniers of the truth there is a painful suffering.
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
Neither those who reject Faith from among the people of the (earlier) Book, nor those who take partners to Allah, wish that any good should be sent down upon you from your Lord, and Allah chooses especially whom He pleases for His Mercy and Allah is the Lord of Mighty Grace.
O you, faithful believers: Do not address the Prophet in Hebrew disrespectfully. Do not say "Ra’ina" when you desire His attention, instead say, "‘Unzurna" or turn your attention directing your eye upon us; and those who defy Allah shall endure torture
Mir Aneesuddin
O you who believe ! do not say, "Listen to us ," but say, "Look at us and listen," and for the infidels there is a painful punishment.
The Wise Quran
O those who believed! Do not say, 'Observe us,' but say, 'Regard us,' and listen; and for disbelievers shall be painful punishment.
The Ascendant Qur‘an, Muhammad H. al-‘Asi
O You who are committed to [the power of ] Allah! Do not say [to the Prophet], “Listen to us,” but rather say, “Have patience with us,” and harken [unto him], since grievous suffering awaits those who deny the truth [of Allah’s power]