Jami at-Tirmidhi 3140
Jami at-Tirmidhi · Book 47: Chapters on Tafsir · Regarding Surat Bani Isra'il
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ قَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ لِيَهُودَ اعْطُونَا شَيْئًا نَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ فَقَالَ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قَالَ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ : (وَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ) قَالُوا أُوتِينَا عِلْمًا كَثِيرًا التَّوْرَاةُ وَمَنْ أُوتِيَ التَّوْرَاةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا فَأُنْزِلَتْْ: ( قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ ) إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
"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)'"
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)