سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 77
أَوَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ ﴿77﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Know they (Jews) not that Allâh knows what they conceal and what they reveal?
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَوَلَا
awalā
Do not
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
they know
أَنَّ
anna
that
ٱللَّهَ
l-laha
Allah
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
knows
مَا
mā
what
يُسِرُّونَ
yusirrūna
they conceal
وَمَا
wamā
and what
يُعْلِنُونَ
yuʿ'linūna
they declare
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
After describing the stubbornness and rebellion of the Children of Israel, now their different groups are being mentioned. In this verse, the condition of the common people is described. (Razi) "Ummi" is one who does not know how to read or write, and { ”اَمَانِيَّ“ ”اُمْنِيَّةٌ“ } is the plural of "umniyyah," which means desires or fabricated traditions, that is, among the Jews there is a group which is of the common people and is illiterate, they have no knowledge of {”الْكِتٰبَ“ } i.e. the Torah, but they harbor in their hearts some baseless kinds of desires, for example, that because of their elders Allah will surely forgive them, or that no one except the Jews will enter Paradise, etc., they have adopted beliefs in various kinds of superstitions. These are their false desires or fabricated stories which they have heard. (Tarjuman)
One meaning of {”اُمْنِيَّةٌ“} is also recitation, as: «{ اِلَّاۤ اِذَا تَمَنّٰۤى اَلْقَى الشَّيْطٰنُ فِيْۤ اُمْنِيَّتِهٖ }» [ الحج : ۵۲ ] has also been translated as recitation. In this case, the meaning would be that they can only recite, but they have no knowledge of its meaning, just as nowadays most Muslims, even if they are memorizers of the Quran, can only recite, but are completely unaware of the meaning. Such reading is as good as not reading at all, therefore it is not contrary to their being "Ummi".
One meaning of {”اُمْنِيَّةٌ“} is also recitation, as: «{ اِلَّاۤ اِذَا تَمَنّٰۤى اَلْقَى الشَّيْطٰنُ فِيْۤ اُمْنِيَّتِهٖ }» [ الحج : ۵۲ ] has also been translated as recitation. In this case, the meaning would be that they can only recite, but they have no knowledge of its meaning, just as nowadays most Muslims, even if they are memorizers of the Quran, can only recite, but are completely unaware of the meaning. Such reading is as good as not reading at all, therefore it is not contrary to their being "Ummi".
