Zaid b. Aslam said that God's Messenger stopped for rest one night on the road to Mecca and made Bilal responsible for wakening them for prayer; but Bilal slept and so did they all, awakening only after sunrise. The people were startled when they awoke, and God’s Messenger ordered them to mount and get out of that <i>wadi</i>, saying, "This is a <i>wadi</i> inhabited by a devil.” So they mounted, and when they had gone out of that <i>wadi</i> God’s Messenger ordered them to dismount and perform ablution, and having ordered Bilal to summon the people to prayer, or pronounce the <i>iqama</i>, he led the people in prayer and afterwards departed. He had noticed some of their dismay, so he said, "You people must realise that God took our spirits, and if He had wished He would have returned them to us at another time than this; so if anyone of you sleeps beyond the time for prayer, or forgets it, then has recourse to it, he should observe it as he has been in the habit of doing at its proper time.” God’s Messenger then turned to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and said, “The devil came to Bilal while he was standing engaged in prayer, and making him lie down, he kept soothing him as a child is soothed till he fell asleep.” He then summoned Bilal who told him something similar to what he had just told Abu Bakr, whereupon Abu Bakr said. “I testify that you are God’s Messenger.” Malik transmitted it in <i>mursal</i> form.

عَن زيد بن أسلم أَنه قَالَ: عَرَّسَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَيْلَةً بِطَرِيقِ مَكَّةَ وَوَكَّلَ بِلَالًا أَنْ يُوقِظَهُمْ لِلصَّلَاةِ فَرَقَدَ بِلَالٌ وَرَقَدُوا حَتَّى اسْتَيْقَظُوا وَقَدْ طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّمْسُ فَاسْتَيْقَظَ الْقَوْمُ وَقَدْ فَزِعُوا فَأَمَرَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَرْكَبُوا حَتَّى يَخْرُجُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوَادِي وَقَالَ: «إِنَّ هَذَا وَادٍ بِهِ شَيْطَانٌ» . فَرَكِبُوا حَتَّى خَرَجُوا مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْوَادِي ثُمَّ أَمَرَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَنْزِلُوا وَأَنْ يَتَوَضَّئُوا وَأَمَرَ بِلَالًا أَنْ يُنَادِيَ لِلصَّلَاةِ أَوْ يُقِيمَ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيْهِم وَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ فَزَعِهِمْ فَقَالَ: «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَبَضَ أَرْوَاحَنَا وَلَوْ شَاءَ لَرَدَّهَا إِلَيْنَا فِي حِينٍ غَيْرِ هَذَا فَإِذَا رَقَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ أَوْ نَسِيَهَا ثُمَّ فَزِعَ إِلَيْهَا فَلْيُصَلِّهَا كَمَا كَانَ يُصَلِّيهَا فِي وَقْتِهَا» ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ فَقَالَ: «إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ أَتَى بِلَالًا وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فأضجعه فَلم يَزَلْ يُهَدِّئُهُ كَمَا يُهَدَّأُ الصَّبِيُّ حَتَّى نَامَ» ثُمَّ دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِلَالًا فَأَخْبَرَ بِلَالٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الَّذِي أَخْبَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ. رَوَاهُ مَالك مُرْسلا