[Machine] I went out one night, while it was dark, and I said to myself, "If only I could go to the Prophet ﷺ so that I could pray with him and have a private conversation with him." So, I did just that. When I entered the mosque, the sky lit up and the Prophet ﷺ saw me and said, "O Qatadah, what has brought you here?" I replied, "I wanted to be comforted by you instead of my parents." He said, "Take this staff and use it as a walking stick, for it will light up ten steps in front of you and ten steps behind you." Then he said, "When you enter your home, strike it on the ground like the sturdiest stone on a person's chest, as that will repel the devil." So, I left and it illuminated my way, then I struck it on the ground as the sturdiest stone until the devil left my house.
خَرَجْتُ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي مُظْلِمَةً فَقُلْتُ لَوْ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَشَهِدَتُ مَعَهُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآنَسْتُهُ بِنَفْسِي فَفَعَلْتُ فَلَمَّا دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ بَرَقَتِ السَّمَاءُ فَرَآنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «يَا قَتَادَةُ مَا هَاجَ عَلَيْكَ؟» فَقُلْتُ أَرَدْتُ بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي أَنْتَ أَنْ أُونِسَكَ قَالَ «خُذْ هَذَا الْعُرْجُونَ فَتَحَصَّنْ بِهِ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا خَرَجْتَ أَضَاءَ لَكَ عَشْرًا أَمَامَكَ وَعَشْرًا خَلْفَكَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِذَا دَخَلْتَ بَيْتَكَ اضْرِبْ بِهِ مِثْلَ الْحَجَرِ الْأَخْشَنِ فِي إِنْسَانِ الْبَيْتِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْطَانُ» قَالَ فَخَرَجْتُ فَأَضَاءَ لِي ثُمَّ ضَرَبْتُ مِثْلَ الْحَجَرِ الْأَخْشَنِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِي