Al-Tabarani recorded in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her a story while he was with her under a quilt. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, had you not told me this story, I would have thought that it was a story of Khurafah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is a story of Khurafah, O Aishah?" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) explained: "Something that does not exist is said to be a story of Khurafah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The truest of stories is the story of Khurafah. Khurafah was a man from Banu Udhrah whom the jinn took captive, and he stayed with them. Whenever they eavesdropped and heard some news, they would tell him, and Khurafah would tell people, and people would find matters exactly as he had described."
The narrators of Ahmad are thiqat (trustworthy); some of them have been criticised in a way that does not discredit them. The chain of al-Tabarani contains Ali bin Abi Sarah, who is da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب النكاح / 7682