The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

IMAM ABO AL-FIDA' ISMA~TL IBN KATH~R 351
Medina, telling the two men, LAsk them about Muhammad; describe him to
them and relate to them what he says. They are the people of the first scriptures.
They have knowledge we don't possess about prophets.'
"So al-Nadr and 'Uqba went off to Medina and asked the rabbis about the
Messenger of God (SAAS), describing him and what he said to tbem. The two
men told them, 'You are the people of the Torah; we have come for you to tell us
about this countryman of ours.'
"The rabbis told them, 'Ask him about three subjects we will inform you
about. If he responds, he is a prophet with a mission. If he does not, he is a
pretender for you to neat as you will.
"'Ask him about the young warriors who passed away in earlier times and
what happened to them. They had a very strange experience.
'"Also ask him about the great traveller who went far out to the east and far to
the west, and what became of him. Then ask hi what the n!ih (soul or spirit) is.
'"If he answers these questions, then he is a prophet and so follow him. If he
does not, then he is a fake and you should do with hi what seems right to you.'
"A1 Na& and Wqba returned to Quraysh and told tbem, '0 @raysh, we bring
you the means to decide the issue between yourselves and M uhad. The rab
bis told us to ask him certain questions.' They then told @raysh what these were.
"So Quraysh went to the Messenger of God (SAAS) and said to him, '0
M&ammad, answer us these.' They then questioned him as they had been told.
The Messenger of God (SAAS) replied, 'I will tomorrow give you the answer to
what you have asked.' But in saying this, he omitted the phrase, 'if God wills it'.
"They then left him. The Messenger of God (SAAS) thereafter remained for
15 days without revelation or any visitation from Gabriel. And so the Meccans
spread rumours, saying, 'Muhammad promised us it would be the next day, but
it's been 15 now without him having answered any one of the matters we asked
him.' The cessation of revelation greatly troubled the Messenger of God, and he
was hurt by what the Meccans were saying about him.
"Then Gabriel, peace he upon him, brought him from God, the Almighty
and All-Glorious, the stsrat al-Kahf (XVIII). In this there is reprimand for his
sadness about them and information on the matters concerning the ancient
warriors and the mighty traveller about whom they had questioned him. God
Almighty also stated, 'And they ask you about the rah (the soul). Say, the n!ih is
by order of my Lord. And you are given but little knowledge' (sarat al-Isr~' (or
Bana Isrz'il), XVII, v.85)."
We have spoken about that at length in the Tafsir (Exegesrs); the reader wishing
more information on this will find it there.
Also revealed was God's statement, "or did you think that the men of the cave
and the inscription were a wonder from among our signs?" (sarat al-Kahf,
XVIII, v.9).