The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Satan has despaired of being worshipped by those who pray in the Arabian Peninsula, but he still seeks to stir up discord among them."In another narration, "The throne of Iblis is upon the sea. From there he dispatches his troops to tempt people, and the greatest among them in his estimation is the one who causes the greatest temptation."In another narration, "Iblis sets his throne upon the water, then sends out his troops. The closest of them to him in rank is the one who causes the greatest temptation. One of them comes and says, 'I did such and such,' and Iblis replies, 'You have done nothing.' Then another comes and says, 'I did not leave him until I caused separation between him and his wife.' So Iblis draws him close and says, 'You are the one!'"
قال رسول الله ﷺ: إن الشيطان قد أيس أن يعبده المصلون في جزيرة العرب، ولكن في التحريش بينهم. وفي رواية: إن عرش إبليس على البحر، فيبعث سراياه فيفتنون الناس، فأعظمهم عنده أعظمهم فتنة. وفي رواية: إن إبليس يضع عرشه على الماء، ثم يبعث سراياه فأدناهم منه منزلة أعظمهم فتنة، يجئ أحدهم فيقول: فعلت كذا وكذا فيقول: ما صنعت شيئا قال: ثم يجى أحدهم فيقول: ما تركته حتى فرقت بينه وبين امرأته قال: فيدنيه منه ويقول: نعم أنت.
Muslim narrated it in "The Characteristics of the Hypocrites" (2812), both narrations, through Jareer, from Amash, from Abu Sufyan, from Jabir. The third narration is from Abu Muawiya, who said, "Amash narrated it to us in the same way."It was also narrated from Abu Musa Ashari, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said, "When Iblis rises in the morning, he sends out his soldiers, saying, 'Whoever leads a Muslim astray today, I will crown him.' They come to him, and one says, 'I kept at him until he divorced his wife.' He says, 'He is likely to marry again soon.' Another comes and says, 'I kept at him until he was undutiful to his parents.' He says, 'He is likely to be dutiful again soon.' Another comes and says, 'I kept at him until he committed shirk.' He says, 'You, it is you!' Another comes and says, 'I kept at him until he committed adultery.' He says, 'You, it is you!' Another comes and says, 'I kept at him until he killed.' He says, 'You, it is you!' and crowns him."Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih (6189), and the wording given here is his. Ibn Abu Dunya narrated it in "The Schemes of Satan" (36), and Hakim (4/350) as well, all of them through routes from Sufyan (Thawri), from Ata bin Saaib, from Abu Abdul-Rahman Sulami (that is, Abdullah bin Habib Kufi), from Abu Musa, who narrated it as mentioned.Ata bin Saaib Thaqafi Kufi was trustworthy before his memory became confused, so whoever heard from him before that confusion set in, his hadith is sahih. Among those who heard from him before the confusion were Shubah, Sufyan Thawri, and Hammad bin Zayd, except that Shubah explicitly stated that he heard two hadiths from him after the confusion had set in.So it is not unlikely that Sufyan Thawri also heard this particular hadith from him after the confusion had set in, since it contradicts what has been established as sahih.