In another hadith:
“When a servant curses Satan, Satan says, ‘You are indeed cursing one who is already cursed’” (1).
The same applies to saying, “May Allah disgrace Satan,” or “May Allah debase Satan.” All of this delights him, and he says, “The son of Adam knows that I have afflicted him by my own power.” This helps Satan lead him astray and brings the person no benefit. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, therefore instructed anyone afflicted by Satan to remember Allah, mention His name, and seek refuge in Allah from him. This is more beneficial to the person and more infuriating to Satan.
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Another example is his prohibition, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, against saying, “My soul feels foul.” Instead, one should say (2), “My soul feels queasy” (3). Both expressions have the same meaning: the soul feels nauseated and becomes ill-tempered. He disliked their use of the word “foulness” because of its ugly and offensive connotations. He directed them to use pleasant language, abandon offensive language (4), and replace an objectionable expression with a better one.
(1) Narrated by al-Daylamī in Musnad al-Firdaws (1/152, al-Gharā’ib al-Multaqata), from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, as a report attributed to the Prophet (marfū‘), with the wording: “When Satan is cursed, he says, ‘You have cursed someone already cursed.’ When you seek refuge in Allah from him, he says, ‘You have broken my back.’” Its chain includes Mūsā ibn Khāqān al-Nahwī, whose reliability is disputed, and I have not found biographical entries for some of its transmitters. Al-Dāraqutnī mentions the hadith in al-‘Ilal (10/148), with the wording “mula‘‘anan (frequently cursed),” and says: “It is transmitted by Abū Hasīn. Mis‘ar narrated it from him, but the reports from Mis‘ar differ: Mūsā ibn Khāqān attributed it to the Prophet through Yazīd ibn Hārūn, from Mis‘ar, whereas others transmit it as a statement of the Companion (mawqūf), which is correct.” See the biography of Mūsā ibn Khāqān in Tārīkh Baghdād (15/37) and Lisān al-Mīzān (8/195).
(2) Bā’ reads: “li-yaqul (let him say).” The adopted reading is from the remaining manuscripts.
(3) Narrated by al-Bukhārī (6179) and Muslim (2250), from ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
(4) Sād reads: “al-qubh (ugliness).”