“During the time of Ibn ʿAbbās, I saw the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in a dream. So I said to Ibn ʿAbbās, ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in my sleep.’ Ibn ʿAbbās said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: “Satan is unable—unable—to assume my likeness. Whoever sees me in a dream has indeed seen me.” Can you describe the man whom you saw in your dream?’ He said: ‘Yes. I can describe to you a man of moderate stature, whose body and flesh were brown tending toward fair; naturally dark-rimmed in the eyes; of a pleasing smile; and with handsome facial contours. His beard filled the space from here to here, and filled his upper chest.’ ʿAwf said: ‘I do not know what else was included in this description.’ Ibn ʿAbbās then said: ‘Had you seen him while awake, you would not have been able to describe him any further than this.’

Ahmad recorded it (1/361), as did al-Tirmidhī in al-Shamāʾil (347; Mukhtaṣar al-Shamāʾil, abridged by me). Its chain is good as corroborative evidence.

There is another corroborating report from the hadith of Abū Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the wording: “…for Satan cannot impersonate me.” Ibn Fuḍayl once said: “assume my appearance.” Ahmad recorded it (2/332) from him, through ʿĀṣim ibn Kulayb, from his father, from him. In another narration recorded by him (2/342), through ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād: ʿĀṣim ibn Kulayb related it to us with Ibn Fuḍayl’s first wording, adding: “ʿĀṣim said: My father said: Ibn ʿAbbās related it to me, and I told him that I had seen him. He said: ‘You saw him?’ I said: ‘Yes, by Allah, I certainly saw him.’ Then I mentioned al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī. He said: ‘By Allah, I had indeed mentioned him and described his manner of walking.’ Ibn ʿAbbās then said: ‘He resembled him.’”