حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَرْثٍ وَهُوَ مُتَّکِئٌ عَلَی عَسِيبٍ إِذْ مَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنْ الْيَهُودِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ فَقَالُوا مَا رَابَکُمْ إِلَيْهِ لَا يَسْتَقْبِلُکُمْ بِشَيْئٍ تَکْرَهُونَهُ فَقَالُوا سَلُوهُ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْضُهُمْ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ قَالَ فَأَسْکَتَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئًا فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ يُوحَی إِلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ مَکَانِي فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ الْوَحْيُ قَالَ وَيَسْأَلُونَکَ عَنْ الرُّوحِ قُلْ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 7059
`Abdullah (b. Mas`ud) reported: As I was going along with Allah's Apostle ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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: What 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. Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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 the Soul. Say: The Soul is by the Commandment of my Lord, and of Knowledge you are given but a little (xvii. 58).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020