Chapter 46: Anxiety and sleeplessness, and seeking refuge from them - كتاب الطب
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ، قَالَ لَمَّا اسْتَعْمَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَلَى الطَّائِفِ جَعَلَ يَعْرِضُ لِي شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِي حَتَّى مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُصَلِّي فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ رَحَلْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ " ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَاصِ " . قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " مَا جَاءَ بِكَ " . قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَرَضَ لِي شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِي حَتَّى مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُصَلِّي . قَالَ " ذَاكَ الشَّيْطَانُ ادْنُهْ " . فَدَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ فَجَلَسْتُ عَلَى صُدُورِ قَدَمَىَّ . قَالَ فَضَرَبَ صَدْرِي بِيَدِهِ وَتَفَلَ فِي فَمِي وَقَالَ " اخْرُجْ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ " . فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ " الْحَقْ بِعَمَلِكَ " . قَالَ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ فَلَعَمْرِي مَا أَحْسِبُهُ خَالَطَنِي بَعْدُ .
It was narrated that ‘Uthman bin Abul-‘As said:
“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed me as governor of Ta’if, I began to get confused during my prayer, until I no longer knew what I was doing. When I noticed that, I travelled to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said: ‘The son of Abul-‘As?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘What brings you here?’ He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I get confused during my prayer, until I do not know what I am doing.’ He said: ‘That is Satan. Come here.’ So I came close to him, and sat upon the front part of my feet then he struck my chest with his hand and put some spittle in my mouth and said: ‘Get out, O enemy of Allah!’ He did that three times, then he said: ‘Get on with your work.’” ‘Uthman said: “Indeed, I never felt confused (during my prayer) after that.”