عَنْ عَرْفَجَةَ قَالَ: كُنْتُ عِنْدَ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ فَرْقَدٍ، وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ: فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ عُتْبَةُ هَابَهُ فَسَكَتَ، قَالَ: فَحَدِّثْ عَنْ رَمَضَانَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ((فِي رَمَضَانَ تُغْلَقُ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ وَتُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَتُصَفَّدُ فِيهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ، قَالَ: وَيُنَادِي فِيهِ مَلَكٌ: يَا بَاغِي الْخَيْرِ! أَبْشِرْ، وَيَا بَاغِي الشَّرِّ! أَقْصِرْ، حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ رَمَضَانُ))
‘Arfajah says: I was present in the gathering of ‘Utbah bin Farqad, and he was speaking about the month of Ramadan. In the meantime, a companion arrived; when ‘Utbah saw him, he became overawed and fell silent, and said: You speak about the month of Ramadan. That companion said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say that in the month of Ramadan the gates of Hell are closed, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the devils are chained, and during this month an angel keeps announcing: O seeker of goodness! Rejoice, and O seeker of evil! Now desist, until Ramadan passes.