“Among them are unlettered people who know nothing of the Book except its recitation.”

This exception must be either connected or disconnected. If it is connected, neither lies nor the heart’s wishes can be excepted from the Book. If it is disconnected, such an exception applies only to something comparable to what is mentioned and resembling it in some respects. It thus belongs to a shared category that is not expressed in the wording, rather than to the category explicitly mentioned.

For this reason, a disconnected exception is not valid where an elliptical exception is valid. An example is His saying:

“They will not taste death therein,”

followed by:

“Except the first death.”

This is a disconnected exception, because it is appropriate to say: “They will taste nothing but the first death.” Likewise, Allah Most High says:

“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, but only through trade by mutual consent.”

For it is appropriate to say: “Do not consume one another’s wealth except through trade.” Similarly, He says:

“They have no knowledge of it, but follow only conjecture; they certainly did not kill him.”

It is appropriate to say: “They have nothing but conjecture to follow.”

Here, then, when He says, “They know nothing of the Book except its recitation,” it is appropriate to say: “They know it only as recitation.” For they know it as something they recite and hear. It is not appropriate to say: “They know nothing but what their hearts wish for,” or: “They know nothing but lies.” They also knew things that were true: not everything they learned from their scholars was false. By contrast, someone who does not understand the meaning of the Book knows nothing but its recitation.

Moreover, these false hopes which they entertained in their hearts and voiced with their tongues