The Hadith of Abu Ayyub Regarding The Ghoul
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 .
Narrated 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abi Laila: that Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari had a store house in which he kept dates. A ghoul would come and take from it, so he complained about that to the Prophet (ﷺ). So he said: "Go, and when you see her say: 'In the Name of Allah, answer to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).'" He said: "So I caught her, and she swore that she would not return, so I released her." He went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: "What did your captive do?" He said: "She swore not to return." He said: "She has lied, and she will come again to lie." He said: "I caught her another time and she swore that she would not return, so I released her, and went to the Prophet (ﷺ)." He said: "What did your captive do?" He said: "She swore that she would not return." So he said: "She lied and she will come again to lie." So he caught her and said: "I shall not let you go until you accompany me to the Prophet (ﷺ)." She said: "I shall tell you something: If you recite Ayat Al-Kursi in your home, then no Shaitan, nor any other shall come near you." So he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: "What did your captive do?" He said: "I informed him of what she said, and he said: 'She told the truth and she is a continuous liar.'"