Al-Qasim b. Muhammad said that a man told him he was greatly distressed by wandering thoughts while he was engaged in prayer. He told him to persevere with his prayer, explaining that he would not be free from that till he said when he finished his prayer, “I have not performed my prayer perfectly.”
‘Uthman b. Abul-'As said he told God’s messenger that the devil interfered with his prayer and his recitation of the Qur’an, causing confusion in his mind, and God’s messenger replied, “That is a devil called Khinzab; so when you feel his presence seek refuge from him in God and spit three times on your left side.” ‘Uthman did so and God caused him to depart from him.
‘Abdallah b. 'Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “God recorded the fates of all creatures 50,000 years before creating the heavens and the earth, and His throne was upon the water.”
Narrated Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Men will continue to question one another till they propound this:
‘God created everything, but who created God?’ ”
Bukhari transmitted it. Muslim’s version is: He declared that God said, “Your people will continue to ask, ‘What is this?’ and ‘what is that?’ till they propound this: God created all things, but who created God?”
