Mukhtasar Bukhari

Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered me to guard the charity of Ramadan. Then a person came to me and started taking handfuls from it. I caught him and said, "By Allah! I will take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." He said, "Let me go, for I am needy and I have a great burden of children upon me, and I am in severe need." So I let him go. In the morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Abu Huraira! What did your prisoner do last night?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of severe need and mentioned his children, so I felt pity for him and let him go." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Be aware, he lied to you and he will come again." So, because of the Prophet's statement that he would come again, I was sure he would return, so I waited for him. He came again and started taking handfuls from the grain. I caught him and said, "I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." He said, "Let me go, for I am needy and I have a great burden of children upon me. I will not come again." I felt pity for him and let him go. In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, "O Abu Huraira! What did your prisoner do?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah! He complained of severe need and mentioned his children, so I felt pity for him and let him go." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Be alert! He lied to you and he will come again." On the third night, I waited for him. He came at his usual time and started taking handfuls from the grain. I caught him and said, "Now I will surely take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for this is the third time you say you will not come again, yet you return." He said, "Let me go, and I will teach you some words by which Allah will benefit you." I said, "What are they?" He said, "When you go to your bed (to sleep), recite Ayat al-Kursi (Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence) until the end of the verse. Then there will remain with you a guardian from Allah, and no devil will come near you until morning." So I let him go. In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, "What did your prisoner do last night?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah! He said he would teach me some words by which Allah would benefit me, so I let him go." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What are those words?" I said, "He told me: When you go to your bed (to sleep), recite Ayat al-Kursi from the beginning to the end (Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence), and he said to me that (by reciting it) a guardian from Allah will remain with you until morning, and no devil will come near you." (Because the Companions were very eager for good deeds.) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Be aware! This time he told you the truth, though he is a great liar. O Abu Huraira! Do you know whom you were talking to for three nights?" I said, "No." He said, "That was Satan."