Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 10876

Malik bin Hamzah bin Abi Usayd narrates from his father, from his grandfather Sayyiduna Abu Usayd al-Sa'idi al-Khazraji (may Allah be pleased with him). He had a well in Madinah called Bi'r Buda'ah, into which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had put his blessed saliva, so they took glad tidings from it on account of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saliva and sought blessing through it. The narrator narrates: When Sayyiduna Abu Usayd had harvested the dates of his orchard, he put them in a storeroom, and a ghoul (that is, an invisible being) would come into his storeroom, steal the dates and spoil them. He complained about this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Abu Usayd, that is a ghoul. Listen carefully for its movement, and when you hear it coming, say: 'In the name of Allah (seeking blessing), answer the Messenger of Allah.'" (He did so,) and the ghoul said: "O Abu Usayd, spare me from your burdening me with going to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I give you a pledge in the name of Allah that I will not come into your house again and will not steal your dates, and I will guide you to a verse: recite it in your house and we (devils) will not come near your family; and if you recite it over your vessel, we will not be able to uncover that covered vessel." Then the ghoul gave that Companion a pledge with which he was satisfied. The ghoul told him: "The verse to which I was to guide you is Ayat al-Kursi." And then the sound of wind passing from its rear was heard. When that Companion came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him about it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Although she is a liar, she has spoken the truth in this."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; all of its narrators have been declared trustworthy, though some of them are weak.