Surah Al-Baqarah 2:78
سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ · Medinan · Verse 78 of 286
وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
Translation
Some of them are uneducated, and know the Scripture only through wish-ful thinking. They rely on guesswork.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse introduces us to another group among the Children of Israel, distinct from the learned individuals who deliberately distorted their scripture. Here, Allah describes a segment of the Jewish people who lived in ignorance of their own revealed Book.
Who is being addressed?
The verse begins, "وَمِنْهُمْ أُمِّيُّونَ" (Wa minhum ummiyoon), meaning "And among them are unlettered ones." This immediately tells us that Allah is speaking about a specific subset of the Jews. As al-Razi and Ibn Ashur explain, these "أميون" (ummiyoon) are the common people, those who cannot read or write. For a community that prided itself on being "People of the Book," this term carried a sense of dispraise, highlighting their lack of knowledge.
What they don't know
The verse continues, "لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّآ أَمَانِىَّ" (La ya'lamoona al-kitaba illaa amaaniyy), meaning "they do not know the Book except what are [their] wishful thinking/fantasies." The term "الكتاب" (al-Kitab) here specifically refers to the Torah, their revealed scripture. The crucial word here is "أماني" (amaaniyy). Its root suggests estimation or conjecture. Scholars like al-Razi, Ibn Ashur, and al-Zamakhshari offer several profound interpretations of this word:
* It refers to their wishful thinking and fantasies, such as believing Allah would forgive their sins regardless, or that prophets would intercede for them, or that hellfire would only touch them for a few days. These were comforting notions they *wished* were true, without basis in their scripture.
* It could also mean fabricated stories and lies they blindly accepted from their corrupt religious leaders. They took these as truth, demonstrating a dangerous reliance on unqualified sources.
* A third interpretation suggests it means mere recitation or reading without understanding. They might hear the words, but they didn't grasp the true meanings or implications.
The Arabic particle "إلا" (illaa) here acts as a "disconnected exception," meaning "but rather." So, they don't *know* the Book; rather, what they have are these "أماني" (amaaniyy) – these baseless wishes, fabrications, or superficial recitations. It's a stark contrast: what they possess is not true knowledge, but its opposite.
A life of conjecture
The verse concludes with "وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ" (Wa in hum illaa yathunnoon), which translates to "and they only conjecture." The word "إن" (in) here functions as a negative, emphasizing exclusivity. This phrase strongly reinforces the meaning of "أماني" (amaaniyy). It clarifies that their understanding is built on mere speculation, assumption, and blind imitation, rather than firm, informed conviction. As al-Razi points out, this underlines that their approach did not lead them to truth.
This specific wording reveals the grave danger of intellectual and spiritual passivity. It highlights that ignorance, coupled with wishful thinking and blind adherence to leaders, leads not to truth, but to baseless conjecture and ultimately, misguidance.
Sources: al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Jalalayn
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:78 is discussed in 6 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Al-Baqarah 2:78 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.