Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1156
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ لِي عُمَرُ: إِذَا أَرْسَلْتُكَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ، فَلاَ تُخْبِرْهُ بِمَا أَرْسَلْتُكَ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُعِدُّ لَهُ كِذْبَةً عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad related to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam informed us, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: ‘Umar said to me, ‘When I send you to a man, do not tell him why I sent you. If you do, Satan will then prepare a lie for him.’’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُعِدُّ لَهُ كِذْبَةً عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ
The report states that Satan prepares a lie for the man at that point, without specifying the precise circumstances or means.
Does ‘prepare a lie for him’ best preserve the compact Arabic expression without adding an interpretation?