وَمَا تِلْكَ بِيَمِينِكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ
What is that in your right hand, Moses?
This question should not be flattened into an ordinary request for missing information. In discussion of tajāhul al-ʿārif, the interrogative can serve a rhetorical purpose such as drawing attention or inviting a fuller response without implying ignorance.
Replacing it with a direct statement may preserve information but removes the conversational opening. Even so, do not classify every question as knowing pretense without adequate evidence concerning the speaker and context.