relays what he has heard lies about what he passes on; rather, one of them may at times relay something he has overheard and stolen, and in that single matter he may speak the truth. Yet most of them lie, and the one who happens to be truthful once will lie many times thereafter. Indeed, whoever receives the descent of devils is a habitual fabricator and sinner.

The contrast between the truthful, righteous man to whom an angel comes and the lying evildoer to whom the accursed devil comes is unmistakable. Anyone with the barest knowledge of their respective states can perceive it. Although a soothsayer visited by a devil may divulge certain unseen matters, God—exalted be He—has made it clear that such a person, even if he tells the truth in some reports, remains a lying transgressor, for it is the devil who brings him falsehood. He therefore cannot be mistaken for someone who neither lies nor plunges into wrongdoing. All of this proves that a prophet must, by definition, be upright and divinely protected from persisting in sin.