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Sahih al-Bukhari 125 (Book 3, Hadith 67) #125
Understanding the Spirit

SUMMARY: The hadith is about a conversation between the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and some Jews, in which they asked him about the spirit. The Prophet (ﷺ) remained quiet and then recited a verse from the Quran.

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)
حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، سُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي، مَعَ النَّبِيِّ فِي خَرِبِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَهُوَ يَتَوَكَّأُ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ مَعَهُ، فَمَرَّ بِنَفَرٍ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لاَ تَسْأَلُوهُ لاَ يَجِيءُ فِيهِ بِشَىْءٍ 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 أُوتُيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً‏}‏‏.‏ قَالَ الأَعْمَشُ هَكَذَا فِي قِرَاءَتِنَا‏.‏

TOPICS
spirit  *  knowledge  *  inspired  *  quran

QUICK LESSONS:
Turn to Allah for guidance on matters we do not understand .

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith is about a conversation between the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and some Jews. They asked him what spirit was, but he remained quiet for a while as if he was being divinely inspired. After that state passed, he recited verse 17:85 from the Quran which states that knowledge of spirit is with God alone and mankind has only been given a little bit of knowledge. This hadith teaches us that we should not try to understand things beyond our capacity or knowledge because it can lead to confusion or displease us in some way. We should instead turn to God for guidance on matters we do not understand as He alone knows all things best.

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