As for the second type—the ignorant—they are the unlettered people who know nothing of the Scripture beyond its recitation and do nothing but conjecture.

Ibn ʿAbbās and Qatāda explained His words:

“And among them are unlettered people,”

as referring to those who do not know the meanings of the Scripture. They memorize and recite it without understanding and do not know what it contains. His words:

“Beyond its recitation,”

mean recitation alone: they have no understanding of the Scripture, but merely confine themselves to what they hear being recited to them. This was the explanation given by al-Kisāʾī and al-Zajjāj. Likewise, Ibn al-Sāʾib said that they cannot properly read or write the Scripture; “beyond its recitation” means only what their scholars relate to them.

Abū Rawq and Abū ʿUbayda said that it means reciting from memory, without reading from books. According to this interpretation, the recitation is that of the unlettered people themselves; according to the other, it is what they hear their scholars recite. Both interpretations are correct, and the verse encompasses both. For He, glorified and exalted, said:

“They know nothing of the Scripture.”

He did not say that they neither recite nor listen. Then He said:

“Beyond its recitation.”

This is a disconnected exception: rather, they know recitations, whether through their own recitation or by listening to others recite. If the exception is taken as connected, the implied meaning would be: they have no knowledge of the Scripture except a knowledge of recitations—not a knowledge of mere recitation without understanding.

Amānī is the plural of umniyya, meaning recitation. This meaning also occurs in His words, Most High:

“We never sent any messenger or prophet before you but that, when he recited, Satan cast something into his recitation. But Allah abolishes what Satan casts, then Allah makes His verses firm. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

The poet said: