53 – Ibn Abī al-Dunyā said: Muhammad ibn Yahyā al-Marwazī narrated to us; ʿAbd Allah ibn Khubayq narrated, saying:

“John son of Zechariah, peace be upon them both, met Iblis in his own form. He said to him, ‘O Iblis, tell me: which people are dearest to you, and which are the most detested?’

Iblis replied, ‘The people dearest to me are the believing miser, and the most detested are the profligate who is generous.’

John asked, ‘How is that?’ He answered, ‘Because the miser has spared me any further work with his stinginess, whereas with the generous sinner I fear that Allah may notice his generosity and accept him.’

Then he turned away, saying, ‘Had you not been John, I would never have told you.’"}