36 – Al-Qurashī said: Aḥmad ibn Jamīl al-Marwazī narrated to me; Ibn al-Mubārak narrated to us; Sufyān, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, from Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī, from Abū Mūsā, reported:

“When Iblis rises at daybreak he scatters his troops across the earth and says, ‘Whoever succeeds in leading a Muslim astray, I shall place the crown upon his head.’

One of them comes and says, ‘I kept at so-and-so until he divorced his wife.’ Iblis replies, ‘He will soon marry again.’

Another says, ‘I kept at so-and-so until he behaved undutifully toward his parents.’ He says, ‘He will soon make amends.’

Another says, ‘I kept at so-and-so until he committed fornication.’ He answers, ‘You—yes, you are the one!’

Another says, ‘I kept at so-and-so until he drank wine.’ He says, ‘You—yes, you are the one!’

Yet another says, ‘I kept at so-and-so until he killed someone.’ At that he declares, ‘You! You are the one indeed!’