Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:79

(So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands): "Woe" (al-wayl) is a verbal noun (masdar) that has no verb derived from the same root. Mentioned in al-Bahr regarding the statements of the grammarians are terms like way, wayh, wayb, ways, wayh, and awl. It is neither dualized nor pluralized, though waylah is said, and its plural is waylat. If it is in a genitive construction (idafah), the accusative case (nasb) is the most preferred, and some permit no other. If kept indefinite, the nominative case (raf') is chosen. Its meaning is disgrace and anguish. Al-Khalil said: "It is intense evil." Ibn al-Mufaddal said: "Grief." Others, like al-Asma'i, said: "It is a word of lamentation," though it can also be an expression of mercy, as in "Woe to his mother, a kindler of war." It has been narrated through chains of transmission authenticated by the huffaz (masters of hadith) from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Woe is a valley in Hell; the disbeliever falls through it for forty autumns before he reaches its bottom." In some narrations, it is a mountain within it. Applying it to this is either a legal reality or a linguistic metaphor, employing the name of the state for the location. It cannot be a linguistic reality because the Arabs spoke it in their poetry and prose before the Quran was revealed, and they did not use it to refer to that place. In any case, it is here an inchoative (mubtada') whose predicate is (to those). If it is understood as a formal invocation, then it is clear; otherwise, what permits it to serve as an inchoative is that it is an imprecation (du'a'). It was transformed from the accusative verbal noun to signify continuity and permanence. Similar instances permit this because it is not a matter of informing. It is also said that it is because the indefinite noun becomes specific through the invoker, just as "peace" (salam) becomes specific in "peace be upon you" (salamun 'alayk) by the speaker—the meaning being "my peace is upon you." Likewise, the meaning here is "my invocation of destruction against them is established for them."

Writing is well-known, and the mention of "hands" serves as an emphasis to dispel the illusion of metaphor. It is said that the first to write with a pen was Idris, and it is also said to be Adam (peace be upon them both). The "Book" refers to that which they corrupted. It is narrated that they wrote in the Torah that which points to a physical description contrary to that of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), circulated it among their fools and the Arabs, and hid the original copies they possessed which were without alteration. When asked about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), they would say: "This is not the one described in our Torah," and they would bring out the altered Torah, read it, and say: "This is the Torah that was sent down from Allah." It is also possible that what is meant is the deviant interpretations they wrote and popularized among the commoners. Some scholars have said: "No book sent down from the heaven has ever been devoid of containing the mention of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but it was through allusions that only the learned would recognize." Had it been manifest to the common folk, their scholars would not have been reprimanded for concealing it. This subsequently became even more obscure through translation from language to language. There exist in the Torah terms that, if you reflect upon them, you will find them pointing to the truth of his prophethood (peace and blessings be upon him) through an allusion that is clear to those firmly grounded in knowledge but hidden to the commoners. Certain Jewish rabbis deliberately took these, interpreted them, and wrote their corrupted interpretations with their own hands, then said: "This is from Allah," to exalt its status and establish it in the hearts of their illiterate followers.

"Then" (thumma) is used for the delay in rank (al-tarakhi al-rutbi), for attributing the corruption and the deviant interpretation to Allah, Exalted is He, explicitly is more heinous than the act of corruption and interpretation itself. The reference is either to all of them or to the specific act.

(To purchase with it a small price): That is, to obtain through that which they indicated one of the vile goals of this world. Even if it were great, it is a small, insignificant trifle compared to the eternal punishment they have made mandatory for themselves and the lasting reward they have been deprived of. This is a cause for the "saying," as noted in al-Bahr. I do not see in the verse any evidence prohibiting the taking of a fee for writing the Masahif (copies of the Quran), nor for the dislike of selling them. Al-A'mash interpreted the verse and used it as evidence for dislike (karahah), but the eye of the fair-minded is blind to that. Yes, a group, including Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), held the view of dislike, as did some of the Imams, but I do not believe they use this verse as evidence. The complete discussion is in its proper place.

(So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn). The "So" (fa) is for detailing what was summarized in the saying of Allah, Exalted is He: (So woe to those who write), etc., as it indicates that the occurrence of woe for those described by what was mentioned is because of their characterization by it—based on linking the punishment to the description—without indicating whether the occurrence is due to the sum of what was mentioned or for each part. Thus, He clarified that with His saying: (Woe to them), etc., along with the explicit statement of the cause. The exaggeration in the threat, the warning, and the intimidation contained in this summarization and detail is not hidden.

"From" (min) is causal, linked to "woe" or to the implied predicate. Regarding "what" (ma), it is said it is a conjunctive noun, and the referent is omitted—i.e., (what they wrote). It is also said it is a verbal particle (masdariyyah). The first is more effective in warning against adopting the corrupted; the second in warning against the act of corruption itself. The second "what" is of the same nature. Some have favored the verbal particle in both instances, both in wording and meaning, because there is no need to estimate an omitted referent and because the earnings of a servant are, in reality, his actions for which he is punished or rewarded. Some researchers mentioned that the reality is that just as a servant is punished for his action itself, he is also punished for the effect of his action because it leads to another forbidden act—which in this case leads to misleading others and consuming the forbidden. He differentiated between the two verses by explaining in the first their entitlement to punishment for the act itself, and in the second for its effect; that is why the "So" was used. It is not hidden that this is a statement devoid of thorough investigation, as is not hidden to those who possess keen scrutiny. From what we have mentioned, the benefit of mentioning "woe" three times becomes apparent. It is said its benefit is that the Jews committed three crimes: altering the description of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), fabricating lies against Allah, Exalted is He, and taking bribes. Thus, they were threatened with "woe" for each crime. It is as if the benefit was placed in the saying of Allah, Exalted is He: (So woe to those) up to the end of the conjunction, similar to the hadith: "A man shall not lead a group in prayer so as to reserve the prayer for himself." Though that is remote, the manner of introducing the "So" in the second instance is not apparent in that [interpretation]. Then, the apparent meaning is that the object of "earning" is specific, which is what the context of the verse indicates. It is said that what is meant by (what they earn) is all evil deeds, to include speech. Its remoteness is not hidden, as the failure to address speech is because it is merely a means of promoting (what their hands wrote). The verse was revealed concerning the rabbis of the Jews who feared their leadership would vanish if the description of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) remained as it was, so they altered it. It is said their kings feared for their kingdom if the people believed, so they bribed them and they altered it. The statement that it was revealed concerning those who did not believe in any prophet and did not follow any book, but rather wrote a book with their own hands, declared as lawful what they chose, declared as forbidden what they chose, and said: "This is from Allah," is not satisfactory—like the statement that it was revealed concerning 'Abdullah ibn Sarh, the scribe of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who used to alter the Quran and then apostatized.