When the year had passed, al-Abyad said to Barsisa, “I am leaving, for I have a companion other than you. I had thought you more diligent in worship than I now find you to be, and we had heard reports about you quite different from what I have seen.” This caused Barsisa great distress, and he disliked being separated from him because of the intense devotion he had witnessed in him.
When al-Abyad bid him farewell, he said, “I have certain supplications which I will teach you to recite. They are better than the occupation in which you are engaged: by them Allah heals the sick and grants well-being to the afflicted and the possessed.” Barsisa said, “I dislike this position, for I have enough with which to occupy myself, and I fear that if people learn of it, they will distract me from worship.” But al-Abyad persisted until he taught him.
Then he went to Iblis and said, “By Allah, I have ruined the man.”
Al-Abyad then went out and accosted a man, strangling him. He subsequently came to the man’s family in the guise of a physician and said, “Your companion is possessed. Shall I treat him?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “I am unable to overcome the jinn afflicting him, but I shall direct you to someone who will supplicate to Allah, and He will restore him to health. Go to Barsisa, for he possesses the Name by which, when Allah is called upon, He answers.”
They went to him and asked him to do so. He recited those words, and the devil left the man. Thereafter, al-Abyad would do the same to other people and direct them to Barsisa; Barsisa would supplicate, and they would be cured.
Then al-Abyad accosted a young woman of the royal house of the Children of Israel, who had three brothers. Their father had been their king, and when he died, he appointed his brother as his successor; thus, her uncle was the king of the Children of Israel. Al-Abyad tormented and strangled her, then came to them in the guise of a physician and said, “Would you like me to treat her?” They replied, “Yes.” He said, “The one who has afflicted her is a powerful devil who cannot be overcome. But I shall direct you to a man in whom you place trust. Leave her with him, and whenever her devil comes to her, he will supplicate for her until you know that she has recovered; then you may take her back in good health.”
They asked, “Who is he?” He replied, “Barsisa.” They said, “How can we get him to agree to this, when he holds himself far above such matters?” He said, “Go and build a hermitage beside his, so that you may be near him. If he accepts her, then so be it; otherwise, place her in her hermitage and say to him, ‘She is a trust placed in your care, so seek Allah’s reward in looking after her.’”
So they went to him and asked him, but he refused. They then built a hermitage as al-Abyad had instructed them and placed the young woman in it. They said, “This is our sister; she is a trust in your care, so seek Allah’s reward in looking after her.” Then they departed.
When Barsisa had finished his prayer, he saw the young woman and beheld her beauty and loveliness. She took hold of his heart, and he was seized by a grave inner turmoil. He then resumed his prayer. The devil came to her and strangled her, so Barsisa recited those supplications, and the devil left her. He returned to his prayer, but the devil again came to her and strangled her, and Barsisa recited those supplications. Then he returned to his prayer, and the devil came to her once more and strangled her. She would uncover herself, and the devil came to him and said, “Have intercourse with her; afterwards you can repent, and you will attain what you seek in this matter.” He continued tempting him until he had intercourse with her. He continued coming to her until she became pregnant, and her pregnancy became apparent.
Then the devil said to him, “Woe to you, Barsisa! You have been exposed. Would you not kill her and repent? If they ask you, say, ‘Her devil took her away, and I was unable to—’”