رَأْىٌ

is a verbal noun of رَأَى [q. v.]: (T, S, K:) [and is also a subst.: used as a subst.,] it means The رَأْى of the eye; (Lth, T, Msb;) i. e. the sight thereof; like رُوءْيَةٌ, q. v.: (Msb:) and also, of the mind; (Lth, T;) [i. e.,] it signifies also mental perception: (Msb:) [conception: idea: nation:] belief; (M, K;) as a subst., not as verbal noun: (M:) [or judgment: or persuasion: or opinion; i. e.] a preponderating belief of one of two things that are inconsistent, each with the other: (Er-Rághib, TA:) a thing that a man has seen with his mind, looked into, examined, or considered, (مَا ارْتَاهُ,) and believed: (Mgh:) [a tenet:] also intelligence: and forecast: and skill in affairs: (Msb:) [and hence it often means counsel, or advice:] plural أَرْاءٌ (T, S, K &c.) and ارَاءٌ, (S, M, K,) the latter formed by transposition, [being for أَأْرَاءٌ,] (S,) and أَرْىءٍ [originally أَرْوءُىٌ, like as أَظْبٍ is originally أَظْبُىٌ,] (Lh, M, K, TA, in some copies of the K أَرْىٌ) and رُيءِىٌّ and رِيءِىٌّ [both originally رُوءُوىٌ], (Lh, M, TA,) in the K رُىٌّ, with damm, [in the CK رَىٌّ,] and رِىٌّ, with kesr, (TA,) and [quasipl. n.] رَيءِىٌّ, (S, K,) of the measure فَعِيلٌ, like ضَيءِينٌ. (S.) One says, مَاأَضَلَّ رَأْيَهُ [How erroneous is his mental perception, &c.!], and مَاأَضَلَّ أَرُاهُ [How erroneous are his mental perceptions, &c.!]. (Lth, T.) أَصْحَابُ الرَّأْىِ, [often meaning The speculatists, or theorists,] as used by those who treat of the traditions, means the followers of analogy; because they pronounce according to their رَأْى [or belief, &c.,] in relation to that concerning which they have not found any [tradition such as is termed] حَدِيث or أَثَر, (IAth, K, TA,) or in relation to that which is dubious to them in a tradition. (IAth, TA.) But according to the usage of others, one says, فُلَانٌ مِنْ أَهُلِ الرَّأْى meaning Such a one holds the belief, or opinion, &c., of the [heretics, or schismatics, called] خَوَارِج, and says according to their persuasion. (TA.) [Sometimes, also, this phrase means Such a one is of the people of intelligence; or of counsel, or advice.] See also رَيءِىٌّ. And رَجُلٌ ذُو رَأْىٍ means A man having mental perception, and skill in affairs. (Msb.)