2281 – Ahmad ibn ʿUmar ibn Muhammad al-Asbahani informed us; he said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Marwazi informed us; he said: Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Warrāq narrated to us; he said: ʿUthmān ibn al-Haytham narrated to us; he said: ʿAwf narrated from Muhammad, from Abū Hurayrah. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿUmar ibn Ahmad also informed us; he said: Ismāʿīl ibn Muhammad al-Wāsiṭī informed us; he said: ʿUthmān ibn al-Haytham narrated to us, from ʿAwf, from Muhammad ibn Sīrīn, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

“The Prophet ﷺ ordered me to guard the alms of Ramadan (Zakat al-Fiṭr). During the night a visitor came and began scooping up handfuls of the food. I seized him and said, ‘I will certainly take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ He pleaded, ‘Leave me, for I am in need, my situation is severe, and I have dependents.’ I felt pity for him and let him go.

When morning came, the Prophet ﷺ asked, ‘Abū Hurayrah, what became of your prisoner last night?’ I replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah, he claimed he was in need and in difficult straits, so I took pity on him and released him.’ He said, ‘He has lied to you, and he will return.’

The second night I found him again; I lay in wait, caught him, and said, ‘I will certainly take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. You said you would not come back, yet here you are!’ He said, ‘Leave me, for I am in need and my condition is hard.’ I released him. In the morning the Prophet ﷺ asked, ‘Abū Hurayrah, what became of your prisoner last night?’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, he complained of need and dependents, so I took pity on him and let him go.’ He said, ‘He has lied to you, and he will return.’

On the third night I lay in wait for him, caught him, and said, ‘I will certainly take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This is the end of three nights—you said you would not return, yet you have come back again!’ He said, ‘Let me teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you.’ ⦗1293⦘

Abū Hurayrah continued, ‘They were eager to do good.’ He said, ‘When you lie down in your bed, recite Āyat al-Kursī from its beginning to its end; a guardian from Allah will remain over you, and no devil will come near you until morning.’

In the morning the Prophet ﷺ asked, ‘What became of your prisoner last night?’ I replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah, he taught me some words and claimed Allah would benefit me by them.’ He said, ‘What are they?’ I said, ‘He told me to recite Āyat al-Kursī in full when I lie down, assuring me that a guardian from Allah would remain with me and that no devil would approach me until morning.’ The Prophet said, ‘He has told you the truth, though he is a persistent liar. Do you know who has been speaking to you, O Abū Hurayrah?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘That was Satan.’

Al-Bukhārī also recorded this report, through ʿUthmān ibn al-Haytham.