'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}