Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): The word رَاعِنَا was one of the expressions the Muslims used to address the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and یَقُولُونَ رَاعِنَا [they say Ra'ina] means: attend to our affairs and listen to us, just as we listen to you. But this same word in the language of the Jews meant: listen, may you become deaf. When the Jews heard the Muslims addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) with the word رَاعِنَا, they said: "Until now we were insulting Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) in secret, but now we can insult him openly." So the Jews began addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) with رَاعِنَا, and their intent was insult. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh al-Ansari perceived their evil intent and said: "O enemies of Allah! May the curse of Allah be upon you. I see that you intend to insult the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) openly, while making us think you are addressing him using the same manner of address we use with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). By Allah, if I hear this word from any of you after this, I will strike off his neck. And were it not that I dislike acting without first seeking permission from him and from his deputy and brother Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), I would strike off the neck of every one of you from whom I had heard this word before." So Allah revealed this verse: مِّنَ الَّذِینَ هَادُواْ یُحَرِّفُونَ الْکَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَیَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَیْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَیْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَاعِنَا لَیًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِی الدِّینِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُواْ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانظُرْنَا لَکَانَ خَیْرًا لَّهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَکِن لَّعَنَهُمُ اللهُ بِکُفْرِهِمْ فَلاَ یُؤْمِنُونَ إِلاَّ قَلِیلاً [Of those who are Jews (there are those who) alter words from their places and say: We have heard and we disobey, and: Hear, may you not be made to hear! and: Ra'ina, distorting (the word) with their tongues and taunting about religion; and if they had said: We have heard and we obey, and hearken, and unzurna, it would have been better for them and more upright; but Allah has cursed them on account of their unbelief, so they do not believe but a little]. And He revealed: یَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لَا تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا [O you who believe, do not say Ra'ina] (al-Baqarah/104). Your enemies from the Jews use this word to insult the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and to insult you, and instead say: وَقُولُوا انظُرْنَا [and say Unzurna] (al-Baqarah/104), meaning we have heard and obeyed; from now on use the word انظُرْنَا and leave off the word رَاعِنَا, because they cannot misuse it as they can the word رَاعِنَا. وَاسْمَعُوا [and listen] (al-Baqarah/104): whatever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) tells you, listen and obey. And the meaning of وَلِلْکَافِرِینَ [and for the disbelievers] is the Jews who insult the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and the meaning of عَذَابٌ أَلِیمٌ [a painful punishment] is a severe pain in this world, and if they repeat the insult, in the Hereafter the eternal fire of hell awaits them.