Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2880
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ أَخِيهِ، عِيسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ كَانَتْ لَهُ سَهْوَةٌ فِيهَا تَمْرٌ فَكَانَتْ تَجِيءُ الْغُولُ فَتَأْخُذُ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " فَاذْهَبْ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهَا فَقُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ أَجِيبِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " . قَالَ فَأَخَذَهَا فَحَلَفَتْ أَنْ لاَ تَعُودَ فَأَرْسَلَهَا فَجَاءَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ " . قَالَ حَلَفَتْ أَنْ لاَ تَعُودَ فَقَالَ " كَذَبَتْ وَهِيَ مُعَاوِدَةٌ لِلْكَذِبِ " . قَالَ فَأَخَذَهَا مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَحَلَفَتْ أَنْ لاَ تَعُودَ فَأَرْسَلَهَا فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ " . قَالَ حَلَفَتْ أَنْ لاَ تَعُودَ . فَقَالَ " كَذَبَتْ وَهِيَ مُعَاوِدَةٌ لِلْكَذِبِ " . فَأَخَذَهَا فَقَالَ مَا أَنَا بِتَارِكِكِ حَتَّى أَذْهَبَ بِكِ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي ذَاكِرَةٌ لَكَ شَيْئًا آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ اقْرَأْهَا فِي بَيْتِكَ فَلاَ يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ وَلاَ غَيْرُهُ . قَالَ فَجَاءَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ " . قَالَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِمَا قَالَتْ . قَالَ " صَدَقَتْ وَهِيَ كَذُوبٌ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla reported that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari had a storeroom containing dates, from which a ghoul would take. He complained about this to the Prophet, who said, ‘Go, and when you see her, say: “In the name of Allah, answer the Messenger of Allah!”’ Abu Ayyub caught her, and she swore she would not return, so he released her. He went to the Prophet, who asked, ‘What happened to your captive?’ Abu Ayyub said she had sworn not to return. The Prophet said, ‘She lied; she will return to lie again.’ This happened again, and the Prophet repeated, ‘She lied; she will return to lie again.’ The third time Abu Ayyub caught her, he said, ‘I will not let you go until I take you to the Prophet.’ She said, ‘I will tell you something: Recite Ayat al-Kursi in your house, and no Satan or anything else will come near you.’ Abu Ayyub went to the Prophet and told him what she had said. He replied, ‘She told the truth, though she is a habitual liar.’ A report from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b is also cited on this topic. Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan gharib.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic identifies the narrator in the chain as ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, reporting from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The captured being is called al-ghul (ghoul) in the source; the Prophet describes her as a habitual liar (kaḏūb).