Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:78

"And among them are the unlettered..."

"Who do not know the Scripture..." They do not master writing, so they cannot read the Torah and verify what is in it.

"Except for wishful thinking..." Except for the wishful thoughts they hold: that God will pardon and have mercy on them, that He will not hold them accountable for their sins, that their forefathers—the prophets—will intercede for them, and the false hopes their rabbis instill in them that the Fire will not touch them except for a few numbered days.

It is also said: "Except for lies" which they heard from their scholars and accepted through blind imitation. An Arab once said to Ibn Da'b regarding a narration: "Is this something you have reported, or something you have wished for, or something you have fabricated?"

The linguistic derivation of tamanna (to wish) is from mana, meaning "to estimate," because the one who wishes estimates and conjectures in his mind what he desires. Likewise, the fabricator and the reader estimate that such-and-such a word follows such-and-such.

"Except for wishful thinking" is an istithna' munqati' (disjunctive exception). It has been recited with a light nun (amani).

The text mentions the scholars who stubbornly distorted the scripture despite their knowledge and certainty, followed by the commoners who imitated them. It alerts us that they are equal in misguidance, for the scholar is obligated to act upon his knowledge, and the commoner is not permitted to be content with blind imitation and conjecture when he is capable of seeking knowledge.

"They write the Scripture with their own hands..." The distorted scripture.

"With their own hands..." This is an emphasis, a metaphorical reinforcement, just as you would say to someone who denies writing something: "O you, you wrote it with this right hand of yours."

"For a small price..." From bribes.

"And they said, 'The Fire will not touch us except for a few numbered days.' Say, 'Have you taken a covenant with God? For God will not break His covenant. Or do you say about God that which you do not know?' Yes, whoever earns evil and his sin has encompassed him—those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally. But those who believe and do righteous deeds—those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally."