Messenger of Allah ﷺ deputed me to keep Sadaqat (al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Sadaqa) (stealthily). I took hold of him and said, "By Allah, I will take you to Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." He said, "I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need." I released him, and in the morning Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again." I believed that he would show up again as Messenger of Allah ﷺ had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, "I will definitely take you to Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said, "Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again." I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me, "What did your prisoner do." I replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free." Allah's Apostle said, "Verily, he told you a lie and he will return." I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, "I will surely take you to Messenger of Allah ﷺ as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come." He said, "(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you." I asked, "What are they?" He replied, "Whenever you go to bed, recite "Ayat-al-Kursi"-- 'Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-l-Haiy-ul Qaiyum' till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no satan will come near you till morning. " So, I released him. In the morning, Allah's Apostle asked, "What did your prisoner do yesterday?" I replied, "He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go." Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What are they?" I replied, "He said to me, 'Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi from the beginning to the end ---- Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-lHaiy-ul-Qaiyum----.' He further said to me, '(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no satan will come near you till morning.' (Abu Huraira or another sub-narrator) added that they (the companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Huraira?" Abu Huraira said, "No." He said, "It was Satan." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2311)  

وَكَّلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِحِفْظِ زَكَاةِ رَمَضَانَ فَأَتَانِي آتٍ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ وَعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ وَبِي حَاجَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ فَخَلَّيْتُ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحْتُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ الْبَارِحَةَ؟» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ شَكَى حَاجَةً شَدِيدَةً وَعِيَالًا فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ فَقَالَ «أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ كَذَبَكَ وَسَيَعُودُ» فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَعُودُ لِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّهُ سَيَعُودُ فَرَصَدْتُهُ فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ فَقُلْتُ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ دَعْنِي فَإِنِّي مُحْتَاجٌ وَعَلَيَّ عِيَالٌ وَلَا أَعُودُ فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ فَأَصْبَحَتْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ الْبَارِحَةَ؟» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ شَكَا حَاجَةً وَعِيَالًا فَرَحِمْتُهُ فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَا إِنَّهُ كَذَبَكَ وَسَيَعُودُ فَرَصَدْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَجَاءَ يَحْثُو مِنَ الطَّعَامِ فَأَخَذْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لَأَرْفَعَنَّكَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ هَذَا آخِرُ ثَلَاثِ مَرَّاتٍ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّكَ لَا تَعُودُ ثُمَّ تَعُودُ قَالَ دَعْنِي أُعَلِّمْكَ كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُكَ اللهُ بِهَا قُلْتُ مَا هِيَ؟ قَالَ إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ {اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ} [البقرة 255] حَتَّى تَخْتِمَ الْآيَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللهِ حَافِظٌ وَلَا يَقْرَبُكَ شَيْطَانٌ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ فَأَصْبَحْتُ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ «مَا فَعَلَ أَسِيرُكَ الْبَارِحَةَ؟» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يُعَلِّمُنِي كَلِمَاتٍ يَنْفَعُنِي اللهُ بِهَا فَخَلَّيْتُ سَبِيلَهُ قَالَ «مَا هِيَ؟» قَالَ لِي إِذَا أَوَيْتَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ فَاقْرَأْ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا حَتَّى تَخْتِمَهَا {اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ} [البقرة 255] وَقَالَ لَنْ يَزَالَ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللهِ حَافِظٌ وَلَا يَقْرَبُكَ الشَّيْطَانُ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَ وَكَانُوا أَحْرَصَ شَيْءٍ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَمَا إِنَّهُ كَذُوبٌ وَقَدْ صَدَقَكَ تَعْلَمُ مَنْ تُخَاطِبُ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثٍ يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ؟» فَقُلْتُ لَا قَالَ «ذَلِكَ الشَّيْطَانُ»