حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ زَکَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبَي هِنْدٍ عَنْ عِکْرِمَةَ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لِيَهُودَ أَعْطُونَا شَيْئًا نَسْأَلُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَقَالَ سَلُوهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ قَالَ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنْ الرُّوحِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَی وَيَسْأَلُونَکَ عَنْ الرُّوحِ قُلْ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا قَالُوا أُوتِينَا عِلْمًا کَثِيرًا أُوتِينَا التَّوْرَاةَ وَمَنْ أُوتِيَ التَّوْرَاةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا کَثِيرًا فَأُنْزِلَتْ قُلْ لَوْ کَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِکَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ إِلَی آخِرِ الْآيَةَ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 3140
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Quraish said to the Jews: 'Give us something that we can ask this man about.' So he said: 'Ask him about the Ruh.' So they asked him about the Ruh. So Allah Most High, revealed: They ask you concerning the Ruh. Say: The Ruh is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you have been given only a little (17:85). They replied: 'We have been given immense knowledge, we were given the Tawrah, and whoever has been given the Tawrah, then he has indeed been given a wealth of knowledge.' So the following was revealed: Say: 'If the sea were ink for the Words of my Lord, surely the sea would be exhausted (before the Words of my Lord would be finished.) (18:109)'
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020