حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي خَرِبِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ يَتَوَکَّأُ عَلَی عَسِيبٍ مَعَهُ فَمَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنْ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَا تَسْأَلُوهُ لَا يَجِيئُ فِيهِ بِشَيْئٍ تَکْرَهُونَهُ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ مَا الرُّوحُ فَسَکَتَ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّهُ يُوحَی إِلَيْهِ فَقُمْتُ فَلَمَّا انْجَلَی عَنْهُ قَالَ وَيَسْأَلُونَکَ عَنْ الرُّوحِ قُلْ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتُوا مِنْ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا قَالَ الْأَعْمَشُ هِي کَذَا فِي قِرَائَتِنَا
صحیح بخاری · Hadith 125
Narrated `Abdullah: While I was going with the Prophet through the ruins of Medina and he was reclining on a date-palm leaf stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said to the others: Ask him (the Prophet) about the spirit. Some of them said that they should not ask him that question as he might give a reply which would displease them. But some of them insisted on asking, and so one of them stood up and asked, "O Abul-Qasim ! What is the spirit?" The Prophet remained quiet. I thought he was being inspired Divinely. So I stayed till that state of the Prophet (while being inspired) was over. The Prophet then said, "And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the spirit --Say: The spirit -- its knowledge is with my Lord. And of knowledge you (mankind) have been given only a little)." (17.85)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020