Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that (once) I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the ruins of Madinah, and he was walking with the support of a date-palm stick. Some Jews happened to pass by (from there). One of them said to another, "Ask him about the soul." One of them said, "Do not ask, lest he says something that you dislike." (But) some of them insisted, "We will certainly ask." Then one person stood up and said, "O Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him)! What is the soul?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. I thought to myself that revelation was coming to him, so I stood up. When that state (of revelation) was lifted from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he recited (the verse of the Qur'an that had been revealed at that time): "(O Prophet!) They ask you concerning the soul. Say: The soul is by the command of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge." (Therefore, you cannot understand the reality of the soul.)

Hazrat Khabbab bin Al-Aratt (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that in the days of ignorance, I used to work as a blacksmith. ‘As bin Wa’il (a disbeliever) owed me some money. One day I went to him to demand my debt. He said,“I will not pay your debt until you deny Muhammad (peace be upon him).”I replied,“I will not deny him until Allah takes your soul, then you are resurrected.”He said,“Then give me respite until I die, then I am resurrected, and I am given wealth and children; at that time I will pay your debt.”Upon this, the verse was revealed:“Have you seen the one who disbelieved in Our verses and said, ‘I will surely be given wealth and children (in the Hereafter)?’ Has he looked into the unseen, or has he taken a promise from the Most Merciful?”