Tirmidhi Book 47, Hadith 3140

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبَي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ قَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لِيَهُودَ:‏‏‏‏ أَعْطُونَا شَيْئًا نَسْأَلُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:‏‏‏‏ وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا سورة الإسراء آية 85، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالُوا:‏‏‏‏ أُوتِينَا عِلْمًا كَثِيرًا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏أُوتِينَا التَّوْرَاةُ وَمَنْ أُوتِيَ التَّوْرَاةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَأُنْزِلَتْ:‏‏‏‏ قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ سورة الكهف آية 109 إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةَ ، قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ.

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)'