in al-Yamama, the lying sorcerer,' meaning Musaylimah. The Jews said to them: 'Go [folio 189] and ask your companion about three matters, for the one in al-Yamama is unable to answer two of the three. Truly, no one knows them except a prophet; if he informs you about them, he is truthful. As for the third, no one dares to claim knowledge of it.' The messengers of Quraysh asked: 'Inform us what they are.' The Jews said: 'Ask him about the People of the Cave and al-Raqim, and narrate their story to them; ask him about Dhu al-Qarnayn and recount his affair to them; and ask him about the soul (al-Ruh). If he informs you of anything regarding it, he is a liar.' The messengers of Quraysh returned to them, informed them of that, and then sent for the Prophet of God. He met them and they said: 'O Ibn Abd al-Muttalib, we shall ask you about three matters; if you inform us of them, you are truthful; otherwise, do not mention our gods at all.' The Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: 'And what are they?' They replied: 'Inform us about the People of the Cave, for we have been told about them through a clear sign; inform us about Dhu al-Qarnayn, for we have been told about him through a clear matter; and inform us about the soul.' The Messenger of God said: 'Wait for me until I see what my Lord reveals to me regarding it.' They said: 'We shall wait for you concerning it for three days.' The Messenger of God stayed for three days without Gabriel coming to him. Then Gabriel came to him, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, rejoiced at his arrival and said: 'O Gabriel, you have seen what my people asked about, yet you did not come to me!' Gabriel said to him: "And we do not descend except by the command of your Lord; to Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is in between, and your Lord is not forgetful" (19:64). 'Whenever your Lord wills, He sends me to you.' Then Gabriel said to him: 'God has said: "And they ask you about the soul. Say, 'The soul is by the command of my Lord'" (17:85). Then he said to him: "Or have you thought that the companions of the Cave and the Inscription were…" (18:9), and he mentioned their story. He said: "And they ask you about Dhu al-Qarnayn" (18:83), and he mentioned his story. Then…
بِالْيَمَامَةِ السَّاحِرُ الْكَذَّابُ يَعْنُونَ: مُسَيْلِمَةَ. فَقَالَت لَهُم الْيَهُود: اذْهَبُوا (ل ١٨٩) فَسَلُوا صَاحِبَكُمْ عَنْ خِلَالٍ ثَلَاثٍ؛ فَإِنَّ الَّذِي بِالْيَمَامَةِ قَدْ عَجَزَ عَنْهُنَّ هُمَا اثْنَانِ مِنَ الثَّلَاثِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَعْلَمُهُمَا إِلَّا نَبِيٌّ، فَإِنْ أَخْبَرَكُمْ بِهِمَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ، وَأَمَّا الثَّالِثَةُ فَلَا يَجْتَرِئُ عَلَيْهَا أَحَدٌ، فَقَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُ قُرَيْشٍ: أَخْبِرُونَا بِهِنَّ. فَقَالَتْ لَهُمُ الْيَهُودُ: سَلُوهُ عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ وَالرَّقِيمِ وَقَصُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ قِصَّتَهُمْ وَسَلُوهُ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ وَحَدِّثُوهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ وَسَلُوهُ عَنِ الرُّوحِ، فَإِنْ أَخْبَرَكُمْ فِيهِ بِشَيْءٍ، فَهُوَ كَاذِبٌ. فَرَجَعَتْ رُسُلُ قُرَيْشٍ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَأَخْبَرُوهُمْ بِذَلِكَ، فَأَرْسَلُوا إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ فَلَقِيَهُمْ فَقَالُوا: يَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، إِنَّا سَائِلُوكَ عَنْ خِلَالٍ ثَلَاثٍ، فَإِنْ أَخْبَرْتَنَا بِهِنَّ فَأَنْتَ صَادِقٌ، وَإِلَّا فَلَا تَذْكُرَنَّ آلِهَتِنَا بِشَيْءٍ. فَقَالَ لَهُم رَسُول الله ﷺ: وَمَا هُنَّ؟ قَالُوا: أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ أَصْحَابِ الْكَهْفِ؛ فَإِنَّا قَدْ أُخْبِرْنَا عَنْهُمْ بِآيَةٍ بَيِّنَةٍ، وَأَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ ذِي الْقَرَنَيْنِ؛ فِإِنَّا قَدْ أُخْبِرْنَا عَنْهُ بَأَمْرٍ بَيِّنٍ، وَأَخْبِرْنَا عَنِ الرُّوحِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: انْظِرُونِي حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ مَا يُحْدِثُ إِلَيَّ فِيهِ رَبِّي؟ قَالُوا: فَإِنَّا نَاظِرُوكَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثًا. فَمَكَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ لَا يَأْتِيهِ جِبْرِيلُ، ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ، فَاسْتَبْشَرَ بِهِ النَّبِي عليه السلام وَقَالَ: يَا جِبْرِيلُ، قَدْ رَأَيْتَ مَا سَأَلَ عَنْهُ قَوْمِي ثُمَّ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي! قَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ: ﴿وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلا بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا وَمَا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَمَا كَانَ رَبك نسيا﴾ فَإِذَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكَ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ جِبْرِيلُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ: ﴿وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي﴾: ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: ﴿أَمْ حَسِبْتَ أَن أَصْحَاب الْكَهْف والرقيم﴾ فَذَكَرَ قِصَّتَهُمْ، وَقَالَ: ﴿وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ ذِي القرنين﴾ فَذَكَرَ قِصَّتَهُ، ثُمَّ
