"And they ask you about the soul (al-Ruh)." Al-Kalbi’s interpretation: The polytheists sent messengers to Medina and said to them: 'Ask the Jews about Muhammad, describe to them his attributes and his discourse, then come back and inform us.' They departed until they arrived in Medina, where they found the scholars of the Jews from every land who had gathered there for a festival of theirs. They asked them about Muhammad and described his attributes to them. A rabbi from among the Jewish rabbis said to them: 'This is truly the description of the Prophet who, it is said, God will send in this land.' The messengers of Quraysh said to him: 'He is poor, destitute, and an orphan; no one from his people of sound judgment or advanced age has followed him.' The rabbi laughed and said: 'That is exactly how we find him.' The messengers of Quraysh said to him: 'He speaks a great word; he calls to the Most Merciful (al-Rahman).'
﴿ويسألونك عَن الرّوح﴾ تَفْسِيرُ الْكَلْبِيِّ: إِنَّ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بَعَثُوا رُسُلًا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، فَقَالُوا لَهُمْ: سَلُوا الْيَهُودَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَصِفُوا لَهُمْ نَعْتَهُ وَقَوْلَهُ، ثُمَّ ائْتُونَا فَأَخْبِرُونَا. فَانْطَلَقُوا حَتَّى قَدِمُوا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَوَجَدُوا بِهَا عُلَمَاءَ الْيَهُودِ مِنْ كُلِّ أَرْضٍ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا فِيهَا لِعِيدٍ لَهُمْ فَسَأَلُوهُمْ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَنَعَتُوا لَهُمْ نَعْتَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ حَبْرٌ مِنْ أَحْبَارِ الْيَهُودِ: إِنَّ هَذَا لَنَعْتُ النَّبِيِّ الَّذِي يَتَحَدَّثُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ بَاعِثُهُ فِي هَذِهِ الْأَرْضِ. فَقَالَتْ لَهُ رُسُلُ قُرَيْشٍ: إِنَّهُ فَقِيرٌ عَائِلٌ يَتِيمٌ لَمْ يَتْبَعُهُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الرَّأْيِ أَحَدٌ، وَلَا مِنْ ذَوِي الْأَسْنَانِ فَضَحِكَ الْحَبْرُ. وَقَالَ: كَذَلِكَ نَجِدُهُ. قَالَتْ لَهُ رُسُلُ قُرَيْشٍ: إِنَّهُ يَقُولُ قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا؛ يَدْعُو إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ
