Among them are heathens who know nothing of the Book but only what they wish to believe, and are only lost in fantasies.
And among them are the unlearned that do not know anything of the Book except to recite something therefrom or parts of their own fabrications; they are in absolute illusion.
And some there are of them that are common folk not knowing the Book, but only fancies and mere conjectures.
And there are among them unlettered people who have no real knowledge of the divine writ, [following] only wishful beliefs and depending on nothing but conjecture.
And of them are unlettered ones who know not the Book but vain desires; and they do but conjecture.
And there are among them (Jews) unlettered people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess.
And among them are uneducated who know the Scripture only through hearsay, and they only speculate.
Then there are among them some un-lettered people who have no knowledge of the Book but depend upon empty hopes and are guided by mere conjecture and guess-work.
And there are among them (Jews) `Ummyyun (unlettered) people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon Amani (false desires) and they but guess.
Among them are unlettered folk who know the Scripture not except from hearsay. They but guess.
And among them are the illiterate who know nothing of the Book except hearsay, and they only make conjectures.
And some of them are common (people) and do not know the Book, but only wishful thoughts, and they are only doubters.
And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except in wishful thinking, but they are only assuming.
Some of them are illiterate and have no knowledge of the Book except for what they know from legends and fantasy. They are only relying on conjecture.
And there are among them illiterates who know not the Book but only lies, and they do but conjecture.
Waminhum ommiyyoona l<u>a</u> yaAAlamoona alkit<u>a</u>ba ill<u>a</u> am<u>a</u>niyya wain hum ill<u>a</u> ya<i><u>th</u></i>unnoon<b>a</b>
There are among them unlettered people who have no real knowledge of the Scriptures, knowing only their own wishful thinking and following only conjecture.
And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.
وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
A group of them do not know how to read or write and do not know what is in the Torah or what it says. They have only lies which they heard from some of their leaders, and think it is the Torah revealed by Allah.
A group of them do not know how to read or write and do not know what is in the Torah or what it says. They have only lies which they heard from some of their leaders, and think it is the Torah revealed by Allah.
<h2 class="title">The Meaning of `Ummi</h2><p>Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ</div><p>(And there are among them Ummyyun people) meaning, among the People of the Book, as Mujahid stated. Ummyyun, is plural for Ummi, that is, a person who does not write, as Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi`, Qatadah, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and others said. This meaning is clarified by Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ</div><p>(Who know not the Book) meaning, are they not aware of what is in it. </p><p>Ummi was one of the descriptions of the Prophet because he was unlettered. For instance, Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَـبٍ وَلاَ تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذاً لاَّرْتَـبَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ </div><p>(Neither did you (O Muhammad ) read any book before it (this Qur'an) nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted) (29:48). </p><p>Also, the Prophet said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">«إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ وَلَا نَحْسِبُ، الشَّهْرُ هكَذَا وَهكَذَا وَهكَذَا»</div><p>(We are an Ummi nation, neither writing nor calculating. The (lunar) month is like this, this and this (i.e. thirty or twenty-nine days.) </p><p>This Hadith stated that Muslims do not need to rely on books, or calculations to decide the timings of their acts of worship. Allah also said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">هُوَ الَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ</div><p>(He it is Who sent among the Ummiyyin ones a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among themselves) (62:2). </p><h2 class="title">The Explanation of Amani</h2><p>Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِلاَّ أَمَانِىَّ</div><p>(But they trust upon Amani) means, "It is just a false statement that they utter with their tongues." It was also said that Amani means `wishes and hopes'. Mujahid commented, "Allah described the Ummiyyin as not understanding any of the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, yet they create lies and falsehood." Therefore, the word Amani mentioned here refers to lying and falsehood. Mujahid said that Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَظُنُّونَ</div><p>(And they but guess) means, "They lie." Qatadah, Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said that it means, "They have evil false ideas about Allah." </p><h2 class="title">Woe unto Those Criminals among the Jews</h2><p>Allah said, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَـبَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَـذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُواْ بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً</div><p>(Then Waylun (woe) to those who write the book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price!). </p><p>This is another category of people among the Jews who called to misguidance with falsehood and lies about Allah, thriving on unjustly amassing people's property. `Waylun (woe)' carries meanings of destruction and perishing, and it is a well-known word in the Arabic language. Az-Zuhri said that `Ubadydullah bin `Abdullah narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "O Muslims! How could you ask the People of the Book about anything, while the Book of Allah (Qur'an) that He revealed to His Prophet is the most recent Book from Him and you still read it fresh and young Allah told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allah, changed it and wrote another book with their own hands. They then said, `This book is from Allah,' so that they acquired a small profit by it. Hasn't the knowledge that came to you prohibited you from asking them By Allah! We have not seen any of them asking you about what was revealed to you." This Hadith was also collected by Al-Bukhari. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The little amount here means this life and all that it contains." </p><p>Allah's statement, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ</div><p>(Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby) means, "Woe to them because of what they have written with their own hands, the lies, falsehood and alterations. Woe to them because of the property that they unjustly acquired." Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ</div><p>(Woe to them), "Means the torment will be theirs because of the lies that they wrote with their own hands, </p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ</div><p>(And woe to them for that they earn thereby), which they unjustly acquired from people, be they commoners or otherwise." </p>
The Meaning of `UmmiAllah said, وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ(And there are among them Ummyyun people) meaning, among the People of the Book, as Mujahid stated. Ummyyun, is plural for Ummi, that is, a person who does not write, as Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi`, Qatadah, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i and others said. This meaning is clarified by Allah's statement, لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ(Who know not the Book) meaning, are they not aware of what is in it. Ummi was one of the descriptions of the Prophet because he was unlettered. For instance, Allah said, وَمَا كُنتَ تَتْلُو مِن قَبْلِهِ مِن كِتَـبٍ وَلاَ تَخُطُّهُ بِيَمِينِكَ إِذاً لاَّرْتَـبَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ (Neither did you (O Muhammad ) read any book before it (this Qur'an) nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted) (29:48). Also, the Prophet said, «إِنَّا أُمَّةٌ أُمِّيَّةٌ لَا نَكْتُبُ وَلَا نَحْسِبُ، الشَّهْرُ هكَذَا وَهكَذَا وَهكَذَا»(We are an Ummi nation, neither writing nor calculating. The (lunar) month is like this, this and this (i.e. thirty or twenty-nine days.) This Hadith stated that Muslims do not need to rely on books, or calculations to decide the timings of their acts of worship. Allah also said, هُوَ الَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ(He it is Who sent among the Ummiyyin ones a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among themselves) (62:2). The Explanation of AmaniAd-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas said that Allah's statement, إِلاَّ أَمَانِىَّ(But they trust upon Amani) means, "It is just a false statement that they utter with their tongues." It was also said that Amani means `wishes and hopes'. Mujahid commented, "Allah described the Ummiyyin as not understanding any of the Book that Allah sent down to Musa, yet they create lies and falsehood." Therefore, the word Amani mentioned here refers to lying and falsehood. Mujahid said that Allah's statement, وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلاَّ يَظُنُّونَ(And they but guess) means, "They lie." Qatadah, Abu Al-`Aliyah and Ar-Rabi` said that it means, "They have evil false ideas about Allah." Woe unto Those Criminals among the JewsAllah said, فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَـبَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَـذَا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُواْ بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلاً(Then Waylun (woe) to those who write the book with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah," to purchase with it a little price!). This is another category of people among the Jews who called to misguidance with falsehood and lies about Allah, thriving on unjustly amassing people's property. `Waylun (woe)' carries meanings of destruction and perishing, and it is a well-known word in the Arabic language. Az-Zuhri said that `Ubadydullah bin `Abdullah narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "O Muslims! How could you ask the People of the Book about anything, while the Book of Allah (Qur'an) that He revealed to His Prophet is the most recent Book from Him and you still read it fresh and young Allah told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allah, changed it and wrote another book with their own hands. They then said, `This book is from Allah,' so that they acquired a small profit by it. Hasn't the knowledge that came to you prohibited you from asking them By Allah! We have not seen any of them asking you about what was revealed to you." This Hadith was also collected by Al-Bukhari. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The little amount here means this life and all that it contains." Allah's statement, فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ(Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for that they earn thereby) means, "Woe to them because of what they have written with their own hands, the lies, falsehood and alterations. Woe to them because of the property that they unjustly acquired." Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, فَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ(Woe to them), "Means the torment will be theirs because of the lies that they wrote with their own hands, وَوَيْلٌ لَّهُمْ مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ(And woe to them for that they earn thereby), which they unjustly acquired from people, be they commoners or otherwise." 