It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that Quraysh said to the Jews: "Give us something about which we can ask this man (Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him)." They said: "Ask him about the spirit (ruh)." So they asked him (peace and blessings be upon him), and this verse was revealed: "And they ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given of knowledge only a little." At that they said: "We have been given a great deal of knowledge." So this verse was revealed: "Say: If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord" to the end of the verse.
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "No one narrated this hadith from Dawud bin Abi Hind except Ibn Abi Za'idah, and Qutaybah is alone in narrating it from him."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الأوسط / باب الميم / 8002
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسناده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«قال ابن حجر: أخرجه ابن أبي حاتم بسند صحيح «فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري، ج 13، ص 453»» «أخرجه ابن حبان فى «صحيحه» برقم: 99، والضياء المقدسي فى «الأحاديث المختارة» برقم: 381، 382، والحاكم فى «المستدرك» برقم: 3983، والنسائي فى «السنن الكبرى» برقم: 11252، والترمذي فى «جامعه» برقم: 3140، وأحمد فى «مسنده» برقم: 2346، وأبو يعلى فى «مسنده» برقم: 2501»