The Jews' Asking The Prophet (SAW) About The Soul, And The Words Of Allah: "And They Ask You Concerning The Ruh (The Spirit)"

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: As I was going aloog with Allah's Apostle ﷺ in a cultivable land and he (the Holy Prophet) was walking with the support of a wood, a group of Jews happened to meet him. Some of them said to the others: Ask him about the Soul. They said: Wbat is your doubt about it? There is a possibility that you may ask him about anything (the answer of) which you may not like. They said: Ask him. So one amongst them asked him about the Soul. Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept quiet and he gave no reply and I came to know that revelation was being sent to him, so I stood at my place and thus this revelation descended upon him:" They ask thee 'about Soul. Say: The Soul is by the Commandment of my Lord, and of Knowledge you are given but a little" (xvii. 58).

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَمْشِي، مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي حَرْثٍ وَهُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ إِذْ مَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ فَقَالُوا مَا رَابَكُمْ إِلَيْهِ لاَ يَسْتَقْبِلُكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ تَكْرَهُونَهُ . فَقَالُوا سَلُوهُ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْضُهُمْ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ - قَالَ - فَأَسْكَتَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئًا فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ - قَالَ - فَقُمْتُ مَكَانِي فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ الْوَحْىُ قَالَ { وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً}

Abdullah reported: I was walking along with Allah's Apostle ﷺ in a field of Medina. The rest of the hadith is the same, but there is a slight variation of wording.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ خَشْرَمٍ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي حَرْثٍ بِالْمَدِينَةِ . بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِ حَفْصٍ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي حَدِيثِ وَكِيعٍ وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً . وَفِي حَدِيثِ عِيسَى بْنِ يُونُسَ وَمَا أُوتُوا . مِنْ رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ خَشْرَمٍ .

Abdullah reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon h@) was reclining against a tree in the garden. The rest of the hadith is the same. but there is a slight variation of wording.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ إِدْرِيسَ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ الأَعْمَشَ، يَرْوِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي نَخْلٍ يَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِهِمْ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ وَقَالَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً .

Khabbab reported that al-As b. Wa'il owed debt to me. I came to him in order to demand that. He said: I will never repay you unless you belie Mubammad. I said: I would never belie Mubammad until you die and you are again raised up. He said: When I would be raised up after death, I would repay your debt when I would get my property and children back. Waki' said: This is how Almash has narrated and it was on this occasion that this verse was revealed:" Hast thou seen him who dis. believes in Our message and says: I shall certainly be given wealth and children' (xis, 77) up to" he would come to Us alone" (xiX. 80).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي الضُّحَى، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ خَبَّابٍ، قَالَ كَانَ لِي عَلَى الْعَاصِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ دَيْنٌ فَأَتَيْتُهُ أَتَقَاضَاهُ فَقَالَ لِي لَنْ أَقْضِيَكَ حَتَّى تَكْفُرَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي لَنْ أَكْفُرَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ ثُمَّ تُبْعَثَ . قَالَ وَإِنِّي لَمَبْعُوثٌ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْمَوْتِ فَسَوْفَ أَقْضِيكَ إِذَا رَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَالٍ وَوَلَدٍ . قَالَ وَكِيعٌ كَذَا قَالَ الأَعْمَشُ قَالَ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ بِآيَاتِنَا وَقَالَ لأُوتَيَنَّ مَالاً وَوَلَدًا} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { وَيَأْتِينَا فَرْدًا}