“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.”  

لَمَّا اسْتَعْمَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الطَّائِفِ جَعَلَ يَعْرِضُ لِي شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِي حَتَّى مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُصَلِّي فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ رَحَلْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ 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