حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ عَنْ خَالِدٍ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ خَالِدٍ يَعْنِي الْحَذَّائَ عَنْ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْمَلِيحِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ کُنْتُ رَدِيفَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَعَثَرَتْ دَابَّةٌ فَقُلْتُ تَعِسَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ لَا تَقُلْ تَعِسَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَإِنَّکَ إِذَا قُلْتَ ذَلِکَ تَعَاظَمَ حَتَّی يَکُونَ مِثْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيَقُولُ بِقُوَّتِي وَلَکِنْ قُلْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّکَ إِذَا قُلْتَ ذَلِکَ تَصَاغَرَ حَتَّی يَکُونَ مِثْلَ الذُّبَابِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4982
Abu al-Malih reported on the authority of a man: I was riding on a mount behind the prophet ﷺ. It stumbled. Thereupon I said: May the devil perish! He said: do not say; may the devil perish! For you say that, he will swell so much so that he will be like a house, and say: by my power. But say: in the name of Allah; for when you say that, he will diminish so much so that he will be like a fly.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020