Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:78

"And among them are unlettered ones who do not know" the Book. This is a new beginning intended to clarify the vile traits of the ignorant among the Jews, following the exposition of the abominable acts of the preceding factions. It is also said that it is a conjunction to [the verse] "Indeed, a party of them used to..." and upon this [interpretation], it constitutes a collection [of groups]. It is also said that it is a conjunction to [the verse] "And when they meet...". Some later scholars have chosen the view that this, along with what it is conjoined to, constitutes an interruption inserted between [the narratives] to clarify the types of Jews as a digression from those who distort [the scripture].

"The unlettered" (al-ummiyyun) is the plural of "unlettered" (ummi). As stated in al-Maghrib, it refers to one who neither writes nor reads, attributed to the nation of the Arabs who did not write or read, or to "the mother" (al-umm), meaning [he is] as his mother bore him, or to "the Mother of Cities" (Umm al-Qura) because its inhabitants generally did not write. The intended meaning is that they are ignorant.

"The Book" is the Torah, as necessitated by the context and sequence of the composition. The definite article ('al') in it is either for referencing a specific entity (al-'ahd) or it is one of the dominant proper nouns. Considering it a verbal noun [derived] from kataba kitaban with the 'al' being generic is far-fetched. Ibn Abi ‘Ablah recited it as ummiyyun with a light [vowel].

"Except for wishful thinking" (tamani): The plural of umniyyah (wish/false hope). Its root is umnunah, a word form (af'ulah), and it is originally what a person estimates in his own soul—derived from muna when one estimates. For this reason, it is applied to lying, to what one wishes for, and to what one recites. It is reported from Ibn Abbas and Mujahid—may Allah be pleased with them—that their "wishful thinking" here refers to lies; that is, lies they adopted through blind imitation of their corrupting devils. It is also said: "Except for what they possess of their wishes" that Allah Almighty will pardon them, have mercy on them, and not hold them accountable for their sins, and that their forefathers, the prophets, will intercede for them. It is further said: "Except for mere promises" they heard from their rabbis, such as that Paradise will not be entered except by one who was a Jew, and that the Fire will not touch them except for a few numbered days. Abu Muslim preferred this. The exception here is disconnected (munqati') because the falsehoods they hold or the lies they heard are not of the [nature of the] Book. It is also said: "Except for what they recite" as an ordinary reading without knowledge of the meaning or contemplation. The exception in this case is connected according to the apparent [syntax]. It is also said to be disconnected, as what is recited is not of the same genus as the knowledge of the Book. This view was challenged on the grounds that it does not fit the interpretation of "the unlettered" provided in al-Maghrib. It was answered that its meaning is that he does not read from "the Book" and does not know how to write. As for [reading] via acquisition from others, they often read without knowledge of meanings or the forms of the letters. There is forced interpretation in this, for one does not call a blind person who has memorized [the Quran] "unlettered." Yes, if "unlettered" is defined as one who is not proficient in writing and reading, as a group has gone, it does not negate that he may write or read to some extent. Evidence for this is what al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated: that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the day of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, took the document—and he was not proficient in writing—and wrote: "This is what Muhammad ibn Abdullah has agreed upon," etc. Those who interpreted "unlettered" as mentioned earlier explained the Hadith as meaning he commanded [others] to write. Some commentators on the Hadith have spoken at length on this matter, but this is not the place for it.

Abu Ja’far, al-A'raj, Ibn Jummaz on the authority of Nafi', and Harun on the authority of Abu ‘Amr recited amani with a light [vowel].

"And they do not but conjecture": The exception is [categorized as] mufarragh (vacuous), and the excluded object is omitted, with its description taking its place. That is, they are nothing but a people whose utmost limit is conjecture, without ever reaching the level of knowledge. How, then, can faith—which is founded upon the principles of certainty—be expected from them? Conjecture is sometimes applied to that which opposes certain knowledge based on decisive evidence, whether one is certain without evidence, or with incorrect evidence, or has not reached certainty at all. Thus, it does not negate the attribution of conjecture to them if they were convinced [in their errors].