Surah Al-Isra, ayah 85: "And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."" Read it in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, with the ayah before and after it, and listen to it recited.
قُلْ كُلٌّۭ يَعْمَلُ عَلَىٰ شَاكِلَتِهِۦ فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ سَبِيلًۭا ﴿٨٤﴾
Qul kulluny ya'malu 'alaa shaakilatihee fa rabbukum a'lamu biman huwa ahdaa sabeelaa
Say, "Each works according to his manner, but your Lord is most knowing of who is best guided in way."
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا ﴿٨٥﴾
Wa yas'aloonaka 'anirrooh; qulir roohu min amri rabbee wa maaa ooteetum minal 'ilmi illaa qaleelaa
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
وَلَئِن شِئْنَا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ لَا تَجِدُ لَكَ بِهِۦ عَلَيْنَا وَكِيلًا ﴿٨٦﴾
Wa la'in shi'naa lanaz habanna billazeee awhainaaa ilaika summa laa tajidu laka bihee 'alainaa wakeelaa
And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us.
Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Audio: EveryAyah. Transliteration is a learning aid; read from the Arabic when you can.
Meaning and lessons
They ask you about the ruh, the soul. Say: the ruh is from the affair of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge. Abdullah ibn Masud said this was revealed when some Jews in Madinah asked the Prophet ﷺ about the ruh (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah kept knowledge of its true nature to Himself.
Ibn Kathir mentions views that the ruh here means Jibril or a great angel, while most understand it as the soul that gives the body life. Either way, the answer turns a testing question into a lesson in humility: the reality of the ruh belongs to the command of Allah.
Summarised in our own words from Tafsir Ibn Kathir, on Quran 17:85. Translation of the ayah: Sahih International.
Ayah 85 of Surah Al-Isra (الإِسۡرَاءِ), "The Night Journey", surah 17 of the Quran, a Meccan surah of 111 ayat revealed in Makkah. It is in juz 15 (para 15), hizb 29, on page 290 of the standard Madinah mushaf. People search for it as 17/85, 17 85 or Quran 17 85.
More verses on this theme: Quran verses about death, Quran verses about life.
Questions
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little." (Sahih International)
They ask you about the ruh, the soul. Say: the ruh is from the affair of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge. Abdullah ibn Masud said this was revealed when some Jews in Madinah asked the Prophet ﷺ about the ruh (Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah kept knowledge of its true nature to Himself.
It is in Surah Al-Isra, surah 17 of the Quran, in juz 15 (para 15), on page 290 of the Madinah mushaf.
The ayah before, 17:84, says: "Say, "Each works according to his manner, but your Lord is most knowing of who is best guided in way."" The ayah after, 17:86, says: "And if We willed, We could surely do away with that which We revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself concerning it an advocate against Us."