Sahih Bukhari 125

حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ سُلَيْمَانُ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي خَرِبِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُوَ يَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ مَعَهُ ، فَمَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنْ الْيَهُودِ ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ : سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ : لَا تَسْأَلُوهُ ، لَا يَجِيءُ فِيهِ بِشَيْءٍ تَكْرَهُونَهُ ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ : لَنَسْأَلَنَّهُ ، فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ ، فَقَالَ : يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ ، مَا الرُّوحُ ؟ فَسَكَتَ ، فَقُلْتُ : إِنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ ، فَقُمْتُ ، فَلَمَّا انْجَلَى عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلا قَلِيلا سورة الإسراء آية 85 ، قَالَ الْأَعْمَشُ : هَكَذَا فِي قِرَاءَتِنَا .

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)