Malik related to me from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala from Amr ibn Shuayb from his father from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "One rider is a shaytan. Two riders are two shaytans, and three are a riding-party."

Abu Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw a man following a dove and said, 'A shaytan following a shaytan.'"

An-Nu'man ibn Bashir was heard to say on the minbar, "Shaytan has snares and traps. The snares and traps of Shaytan are to exult ungratefully in the blessings of Allah, to boast about the gifts of Allah, to have pride at the expense of the slaves of Allah, and to follow passion for other than the sake of Allah."

"When a man enters his house or goes to bed, an angel and shaytan hasten to him. The angel says, 'Seal it with good!' The Shaytan says, 'Seal it with evil.' If he praises Allah and remembers Him, he chases the shaytan away and spends the night with him guarding him. When he wakes up, the angel and shaytan hasten to him and say the same thing. If he mentions Allah and says, 'Praise be to Allah, who keeps firm hold of the heavens and earth, preventing them from vanishing away. And if they vanished no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving.' (35:41) Praise be to Allah who holds back the sky preventing it from falling on the earth, except by His permission. Allah is All-Compassionate to mankind, Most Merciful.' (22:63) If he dies, he dies a martyr, If he gets up and prays, he prays in virtue.'"

Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you hear the crowing of a cock in the night, it has seen an angel. Ask Allah for its blessing. If you hear the braying of a donkey in the night, it has seen a shaytan, so seek refuge with Allah from shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik that al-Ala ibn Abd ar-Rahman said, "We visited Anas ibn Malik after dhuhr and he stood up and prayed asr. When he had finished his prayer, we mentioned doing prayers early in their time, or he mentioned it, and he said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, the prayer of the hypocrites, the prayer of the hypocrites, the prayer of the hypocrites is that one of them sits until the sun becomes yellow and is between the horns of Shaytan, or on the horn of Shaytan, and then gets up and rattles off four rakas, hardly remembering Allah in them at all.' "

Abu Umama said, "Shaytan comes to one of you in bed after his family has covered him and wished him good night. He throws sticks, stones or other things on him to make him angry with his family. When he feels that, he should not get angry with his family.' He said, 'It is part of the work of Shaytan.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn Amr ibn AIqama from Malik ibn Abdullah as-Sadi that Abu Hurayra said, "The one who raises his head and lowers it before the imam - his forelock is in the hand of a shaytan."

Malik said, concerning someone who forgot and raised his head before the imam in ruku or sujud, "The sunna of that is to return to bowing or prostrating and not to wait for the imam to come up. What he has done is a mistake, because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The imam is appointed to be followed as a leader, so do not oppose him.' Abu Hurayra said, 'The one who raises his head and lowers it before the imam - his forelock is in the hand of a shaytan.' "

Malik related to me from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, pointing at the east and saying, 'The cause of dissension is here. The cause of dissension is here, from where the helpers of shaytan arise.' "

Malik related to me from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Harmala that Said ibn al-Musayyab heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Shaytan concerns himself with one and two. When there are three, he does not concern himself with them."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah loves the sneeze and dislikes yawning. When one you sneezes and praises Allah, it is a duty for every Muslim who hears him to say, 'May Allah have mercy on you.;' As for the yawn, it comes from Shaytan. When one of you yawns, he should repress it as much as possible. When one of you yawns, Shaytan laughs at him."

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah loves sneezing and hates yawning. When one of you sneezes and praises Allah Almighty, it is a duty for every Muslim who hears him to say to him, 'May Allah have mercy on you.' Yawning comes from Shaytan. When one of you yawns, he should control it as much as possible. When a man says, 'Aawh!,' Shaytan laughs at him."

Jabir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When a man enters his house, he should Allah mention Allah Almighty, both when he enters and he eats. If he does so, Shaytan says (i.e. to the shayatin), 'You cannot spend the night or eat.' When he enters and does not mention Allah when he enters, Shaytan says, 'You have got your lodgings for the night and your supper.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar from Abdullah ibn Umar that Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say, "Do not intend to do your prayer at either sunrise or sunset, for the horns of Shaytan rise with the rising of the sun and set with its setting."

Umar used to beat people for that kind of prayer.

Ibn Abbas said, "When someone yawns, he should place his hand over his mouth. Yawning comes from Shaytan."

Anas said, "A man gave a speech in the presence of 'Umar and said a lot. 'Umar said, 'Too many words in orations comes from the skills of shaytan.'"

A similar report from Abu Hurayra in which he said, "The Lord of everything and its Master." He said, "The evil of shaytan and his encouragement to associate."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you marry a woman or buy a slave-girl, take her by the forelock and ask for baraka. When you buy a camel, take the top of its hump, and seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan."

Aslam said, "'Umar said to me, 'If I send you to a man, do not tell him why I sent you to him. If you do, Shaytan will prepare a lie for him in that.'"

Jabir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Keep children in until the evening has completely fallen. That time is the hour when the shaytans come out."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Umar from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you eat, eat with your right hand and drink with your right hand. Shaytan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr al-Makki from Jabir ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Lock the door, tie the waterskin, turn the vessel over or cover it, and put out the lamp. Shaytan does not open a locked door or untie a tied knot, or uncover a vessel. A mouse may set fire to people's houses about them."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Abd ar- Rahman ibn Abi Said al-Khudri from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do not let anyone pass in front of you when you are praying. Repel him as much as you can, and, if he refuses, fight him, for he is only a shaytan."

As-Sa'ib ibn Yazid said, "'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to pass by us in the middle of the day - or near to it - and say, 'Get up and take a midday nap. Any time spent here after this is for shaytan.'"

"I seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan."' The man went to that man and said, 'Do you know what he said? He said, "I seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan."' The man retorted. 'Do you think me mad?'"

Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When one of you yawns, he should put his hand over his mouth. Otherwise Shaytan might enter it."

'Abdullah said, "Going to sleep during dhikr comes from Shaytan. if you like, you can put it to the test. When one of you goes to bed and wants to go to sleep. he should mention Allah Almighty."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you are uncertain in the prayer and do not know whether you have prayed three or four rakas, then pray a raka and make two prostrations from the sitting position before the taslim. If the raka that you prayed was the fifth, then you make it even by these two sajdas, and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations spite Shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you stand in prayer, Shaytan comes to you and confuses you until you do not know how much you have prayed. If you find that happening do two sajdas from the sitting position."

'Abdullah ibn Dinar said, "I went out with 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar to the market. He passed by a small slave-girl who singing and remarked, 'Shaytan. If he had left anyone, he would have left this girl.'"

Mujahid said, "When a son of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, either Abu Bakr or 'Umar, sneezed, he said, 'Ab!' Ibn 'Umar said, 'What is this "Ab"? Ab is the name of one of the shaytans who comes between the sneeze and the praise.'"

Ibn 'Umar said, "the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'None of you should eat with his left hand nor drink with his left hand. Shaytan eats and drinks with his left hand.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that some men from Iraq said to him, "Abu Abd ar-Rahman, we buy the fruit of the palm and grapes and we squeeze them into wine and we sell it." Abdullah ibn Umar said, "I call on Allah and His angels and whoever hears of jinn and men to testify to you that I order you not to buy it nor sell it nor to press it nor to drink it nor to give it to people to drink. It is something impure from the work of Shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar from Abdullah as-Sunabihi that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The sun rises and with it is a horn of Shaytan and when the sun gets higher the horn leaves it. Then when the sun reaches the meridian the horn joins it and when the sun declines the horn leaves it, and when the sun has nearly set it joins it again." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade prayer at these times.

'Iyad ibn Himar said, "I said, 'Messenger of Allah, there is someone who reviles me.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Those who revile one another are two shaytans who accuse one another and deny one another.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shaytan ties three knots at the back of your head when you sleep, and he seals the place of each knot with 'You have a long night ahead, so sleep.' If you wake up and remember Allah, a knot is untied. If you do wudu, a knot is untied. If you pray, a knot is untied, and morning finds you lively and in good spirits, and if not, morning finds you in bad spirits and lazy."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibrahim ibn Abi Abla from Talha ibn Ubaydullah ibn Kariyz that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shaytan is not considered more abased or more cast out or more contemptible or more angry on any day than on the Day of Arafa. That is only because he sees the descent of the Mercy and Allah's disregard for great wrong actions. That is except from what he was shown on the Day of Badr." Someone said, "What was he shown on the Day of Badr, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Didn't he see Jibril arranging the ranks of the angels?"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that Ata ibn Yasar told him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in the mosque when a man came in with dishevelled hair and beard. The Messenger of Allah. may Allah bless him and grant him peace, motioned with his hand that he should be sent out to groom his hair and beard. The man did so and then returned. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Isn't this better than that one of you should come with his head dishevelled, as if he were a shaytan?"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the call to prayer is made Shaytan retreats, passing wind, so that he will not hear the adhan. When the adhan is completed he comes back, until, when the iqama is said, he retreats again. When the iqama is completed, he comes back, until he comes between a man and his self and says, 'Think of such and such, think of such and such,' which he was not thinking about before, until the man does not know how much he has prayed."

Mutarrif reported that his father said, "I went in the delegation of the Banu 'Amir to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They said, 'You are our master.' He said, 'The Master is Allah.' They said, 'The best of us in excellence and the greatest of us in generosity.' He said, 'Say what you like, but do not let Shaytan provoke you.'"

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said "Do not go out often after the night is still. Allah has animals which he sends out. Anyone who hears the barking of a dog or the braying of a donkey should seek refuge with Allah from the Accursed Shaytan. They see what you do not see."

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Lock the doors, tie the water-skins, turn over the vessels, cover the vessels, and put out the lamps. Shaytan does not open a locked door, nor untie a water-skin, nor uncover a vessel. A mouse can cause a house to burn down with its inhabitants inside it."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Zayd ibn Aslam said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped for a rest one night on the way to Makka and appointed Bilal to wake them up for the prayer. Bilal slept and everyone else slept and none of them woke up until the sun had risen. When they did wake up they were all alarmed. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to ride out of the valley, saying that there was a shaytan in it. So they rode out of the valley and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered them to dismount and do wudu and he told Bilal either to call the prayer or to give the iqama. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then led them in the prayer. Noticing their uneasiness, he went to them and said, 'O people! Allah seized our spirits (arwah) and if He had wished He would have returned them to us at a time other than this. So if you sleep through the time for a prayer or forget it and then are anxious about it, pray it as if you were praying it in its time.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to Abu Bakr and said, 'Shaytan came to Bilal when he was standing in prayer and made him lie down and lulled him to sleep like a small boy.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then called Bilal and told him the same as he had told Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr declared, 'I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman said, "I heard Abu Qatada ibn Ribiyy say that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The good dream is from Allah, and the bad dream is from shaytan. When you see what you dislike, spit to your left side three times when you wake up, and seek refuge with Allah from its evil. It will not harm you then, Allah willing.' " Abu Salama said, "I would see dreams which weighed on me more heavily than a mountain. When I heard this hadith, I was not concerned about it."

Umm 'Alqama related that when the daughters of 'A'isha's brother were circumcised, 'A'isha was asked, "Shall we call someone to amuse them?" "Yes," she replied. 'Adi was sent for and he came to them. 'A'isha passed by the room and saw him singing and shaking his head in rapture - and he had a large head of hair. 'Uff!' she exclaimed, 'A shaytan! Get him out! Get him out!'"

Anas said, "While the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was with one of his wives, a man passed by and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called him and said, 'So-and-so, this is my wife so-and-so.' The man said, 'Whoever I might suspect, I would not suspect you!' The Prophet said, 'Shaytan flows in the son of Adam like blood flows.'"

Abu Hurayra reported that Abu Bakr said, "Messenger of Allah, teach me something that I can say morning and evening." The Prophet said, "O Allah, Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, Creator of the heavens and the earth, everything is in Your hands. I testify that there is no god but You. I seek refuge with You from the evil of myself and the evil of shaytan and his (encouragement to) associate others (with You)." Say it in the morning and the evening and when you go to sleep."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "A mouse came and began to drag the wick. The slavegirl moved to stop it. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Leave it.' The mouse brought the wick and put it on the mat where he was sitting. It burned a hole in it the size of a dirham. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'When you go to sleep, put out the lights. Shaytan guides things like this and then they burn you.'"

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you hear a dog barking or a donkey braying in the night, seek refuge with Allah. They see what you do not see. Shut the doors and mention the Name of Allah over them. Shaytan will not open a door which has been shut and had the name of Allah mentioned over it. Then cover the pots, tie the water-skins and cover the vessels."

'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "People asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about soothsayers. He told them, 'They are nothing.' They said, But, Messenger of Allah, they speak about things which are true!' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, responded, 'That is a word which Shaytan steals and then he mumbles it into the ear of his protege with a sound like the clucking of a chicken. Then they mix a hundred lies with it.'"