What is Sahih al-Bukhari 4515 about?

This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))), narrated by Narrated `Abdullah:, states: "While I was in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a farm and he was reclining on a palm leave stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said to the others. "Ask him (the Prophet (ﷺ) about the spirit."…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, which contains 7,277 hadiths across 97 books. It is hadith number 4515 in the Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh)).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#4514

#4515

Sahih al-Bukhari

#4516

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Sahih al-Bukhari #4515

Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَيْنَا أَنَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي حَرْثٍ وَهْوَ مُتَّكِئٌ عَلَى عَسِيبٍ إِذْ مَرَّ الْيَهُودُ، فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ سَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ، فَقَالَ مَا رَابَكُمْ إِلَيْهِ، وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَقْبِلُكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ تَكْرَهُونَهُ فَقَالُوا سَلُوهُ فَسَأَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ فَأَمْسَكَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا، فَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ، فَقُمْتُ مَقَامِي، فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ الْوَحْىُ قَالَ ‏{‏وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً‏}‏‏.‏

While I was in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a farm and he was reclining on a palm leave stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said to the others. "Ask him (the Prophet (ﷺ) about the spirit." Some of them said, "What urges you to ask him about it" Others said, "(Don't) lest he should give you a reply which you dislike." But they said, "Ask him." So they asked him about the Spirit. The Prophet (ﷺ) kept quiet and did not give them any answer. I knew that he was being divinely inspired so I stayed at my place. When the divine inspiration had been revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) said. "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)

Narrated by Narrated `Abdullah:

Context

While with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Abdullah observed a conversation among Jews who questioned him about the spirit. The Prophet ﷺ remained silent, indicating that the knowledge of such matters is with Allah. This moment emphasizes the importance of humility in the face of divine knowledge and the limitations of human understanding.

Modern Application

In modern life, this hadith encourages individuals to recognize the limits of human knowledge and to approach questions of the unseen with humility. It reminds us to focus on what has been revealed and to trust in Allah's wisdom.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Knowledge and Divine Revelation because it illustrates the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ acknowledgment of the limitations of human understanding regarding divine matters.

Knowledge Divine Revelation