Naji reported that he had a storehouse of dates that kept decreasing, so one night he stood guard over it. Suddenly he saw a creature resembling a young man at the age of puberty. Naji greeted him with peace, and the creature returned the greeting.Naji asked, "Are you a jinn or a human?"He replied, "No, I am a jinn."Naji said, "Give me your hand."The creature extended his hand, and behold, his hand was like a dog's hand and his hair like a dog's hair.Naji remarked, "Is this how the jinn are created?"The creature replied, "The jinn know well that there is none among them stronger than me."Naji asked, "What has brought you here?"He answered, "We heard that you love giving charity, so we came to take some of your food."Naji asked, "What can protect us from you?"He said, "This verse in Surah al-Baqarah, 'Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Sustaining' [Baqarah 2:255]. Whoever recites it when evening comes is protected from us until morning, and whoever recites it when morning comes is protected from us until evening."When morning came, Naji went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him what had happened. He said, "The wicked one has spoken the truth."
أنه كان له جرن من تمر، فكان ينقص، فحرسه ذات ليلة فإذا هو بدابة شبه الغلام المحتلم، فسلم عليه فرد عليه السلام فقال: ما أنت جني أم إنسي؟ قال: لا بل جني قال: فناولني يدك، فناوله يده، فإذا يده يد كلب، وشعره شعر كلب قال: هكذا خلق الجن قال: قد علمت الجن أن ما فيهم رجل أشد مني قال: فما جاء بك؟ قال: بلغنا أنك تحب الصدقة، فجئنا نصيب من طعامك قال: فما ينجينا منكم؟ قال: هذه الآية التي في سورة البقرة {الله لا إله إلا هو الحي القيوم} من قالها حين يمسي، أجير منا حتى يصبح، ومن قالها حين يصبح أجير منا حتى يمسي، فلما أصبح أتى رسول الله ﷺ فذكر له ذلك فقال: صدق الخبيث.
Bukhari related it in Tarikh al-Kabir (1/27), and Tabarani in Kabir (1/169), both from the hadith of Musa bin Ismail Tabuzaki, from Abu Aban bin Yazid Attar, from Yahya bin Abu Kathir, from Hadrami bin Lahiq, from Muhammad bin Ubayy bin Kaab, from his father, that he had a threshing floor, and he mentioned it. This isnad is sahih. Muhammad bin Kaab had a sighting of the Prophet. Ibn Hibban related it (784) from the hadith of Walid, who said, Uzai narrated to us, Yahya bin Abu Kathir narrated to us, Ibn Ubayy bin Kaab narrated to me that his father informed him, and he mentioned the hadith similarly. Here the mention of Ibn Ubayy bin Kaab came unspecified, and perhaps it is Muhammad as in the previous narration, though in some narrations it is mentioned that he is Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Kaab. Allah, the Exalted, knows best. A similar hadith will come from Abu Hurairah in the chapter on supplications for sleep.As for what was narrated from Maqil bin Yasar, from the Prophet , that he said, "Whoever says, upon rising in the morning, three times, 'I seek refuge in Allah, the Hearing, the Knowing, from the accursed Satan,' and recites three verses from the end of Surah Hashr, Allah will assign to him seventy thousand angels who pray for him until evening, and if he dies on that day, he dies a martyr. And whoever says it upon evening will have that same standing." Its isnad is daif. Tirmidhi related it (2922), and Ahmad (20306), both from the hadith of Abu Ahmad Zubayri, who said, Khalid bin Tahman Abu Ala Khaffaf narrated to us, Nafi bin Abu Nafi narrated to me, from Maqil bin Yasar, who said, and he mentioned it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith we do not know except through this route," and in one copy, "hasan gharib," but according to Mizzi it is only "gharib." I say, in its isnad is Nafi bin Abu Nafi. Abu Hatim said, "This is Abu Dawud Nufai, daif," end quote. And if he is someone else, he is not known, and he is different from Nafi bin Abu Nafi Bazzaz who narrates from Abu Hurairah and is trustworthy. And Khalid bin Tahman is counted among those whose memory became confused.As for what was narrated from Abu Hurairah, who said, the Messenger of Allah
said, "Whoever recites Ha-Meem the Believer up to "to Him is the final return" [Ghafir 40:3], and the Verse of the Throne, upon rising in the morning, will be protected by them until evening, and whoever recites them upon evening will be protected by them until morning." Its isnad is daif. Tirmidhi related it (2879), and Aqeeli (2/325), both through the route of Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Bakr Malaki, from Zurara bin Musab, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith. Some scholars have criticized Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Bakr bin Abu Mulayka Malaki regarding his memory." I say, Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Bakr is daif by the agreement of the scholars, and Nasai said, "His hadith is abandoned." Ibn Hibban said, "He narrates alone things from the trustworthy narrators that do not resemble the hadith of reliable narrators."Likewise, what was narrated from Zubayr bin Awwam, who said, the Messenger of Allah
said, "There is no morning in which a servant rises but a caller calls out, 'Glorify the Sovereign, the Most Holy.'" Its isnad is also daif. Tirmidhi related it (3569), and this is his wording, and Ibn Sunni in Amal al-Yawm wal-Layla (63), both through the route of Musa bin Ubayda, from Muhammad bin Thabit, from Abu Hakeem, freedman of Zubayr, from Zubayr bin Awwam, and he mentioned it. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith." I say, in its isnad is Musa bin Ubayda, who is daif, and Abu Hakeem, freedman of Zubayr, is unknown, and likewise Muhammad bin Thabit.Likewise, what was narrated from Anas bin Malik, who said, the Messenger of Allah
said, "Whoever says, upon rising in the morning, 'O Allah, I have risen this morning bearing witness to You, and bearing witness to the bearers of Your throne, and Your angels, and all Your creation, that You are Allah, there is no god but You alone, You have no partner, and that Muhammad is Your servant and Your Messenger,' will be forgiven whatever sin he commits that day, and if he says it upon evening, he will be forgiven whatever he commits," is not sound either. Abu Dawud related it (5078), and Tirmidhi (3501), and Bukhari in Adab al-Mufrad (1201), and Nasai in Amal al-Yawm wal-Layla (9-10), all through the route of Baqiya, from Muslim bin Ziyad, who said, I heard Anas bin Malik, and he mentioned it, and the wording is Abu Dawud's. Tirmidhi said, "This is a gharib hadith." I say, in its isnad is Muslim bin Ziyad, whom I have not found anyone to affirm as trustworthy except that Ibn Hibban mentioned him among his trustworthy narrators. Ibn Qattan Fasi said, "His condition is unknown." There is also confusion in its text. As for Baqiya bin Walid, he is truthful but conceals defects in transmission, though he stated explicitly that he heard it directly, according to Nasai.Abu Dawud related it (5069) through the route of Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Majid, from Hisham bin Ghaz bin Rabia, from Makhul Dimashqi, from Anas bin Malik, that the Messenger of Allah
said, "Whoever says, upon rising in the morning or upon evening, 'O Allah, I have risen this morning bearing witness to You, and bearing witness to the bearers of Your throne, and Your angels, and all Your creation, that You are Allah, there is no god but You, and that Muhammad is Your servant and Your Messenger,' Allah will free a quarter of him from the Fire. Whoever says it twice, Allah will free half of him. Whoever says it three times, Allah will free three-quarters of him. And if he says it four times, Allah will free him entirely from the Fire." In its isnad is Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Majid, who is unknown.The hadith has other routes, none of which are free of criticism, along with variation in the text. Allah knows best.