The report in question is about Barsisa, who was a devoted worshipper from Bani Israil who worshipped Allah for seventy years. Iblis sent one of his devils, al-Abyad, who disguised himself as a righteous worshipper. Barsisa allowed him to stay, thinking him pious.
Al-Abyad taught him invocations he claimed would cure the afflicted, and through them Barsisa became admired and proud.
Al-Abyad then afflicted a king’s daughter and convinced her family to send her to Barsisa for ruqyah. Shaytan tempted Barsisa until he fell into zina with her. When she became pregnant, he killed her to conceal his sin. Her brothers discovered the truth, and he was executed.
At his death, Shaytan appeared and said, “I am the one who deceived you.
Prostrate to me and I will save you.”
Barsisa prostrated to him and died as a kafir.
Dr. Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muhsin al-Turki said in his tahqeeq of Tafsir Al Qurtubi that this is found in Tafsir al-Baghawi 4/322–324, Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim 10/3348 (18860), and also narrated by al-Tabari 22/543 from Muhammad ibn Sa’d from his father, from his uncle, from his father, from his father, from Ibn Abbas. The narrator from Ibn Abbas is Atiyyah ibn Sa’d al-Awfi, and those before him in the chain are weak. Al-Khara’iti also narrated it in I’tilal al-Qulub pp. 115–116 through another chain from Ibn Abbas, and a similar version in shorter form.
Jarh (Criticism) Of Atiyyah ibn Sa’d al-Awfi
قال ابن حجر: تابعي معروف ضعيف الحفظ. مشهور بالتدليس القبيح. (تعريف أهل التقديس 1/166)
وقال: صدوق يخطئ كثيرا، وكان شيعيا مدلسا، من الثالثة. (تقريب التهذيب 1/680)
And he was a mudallis, from the third class. (Taqrib al Tahdhib 1, 680, Ibn Hajar)
وقال النسائي: ضعيف. (تهذيب الكمال 20/145)
Al Nasaai said, daif. (Tahdhib al Kamil 20, 145. Al Nasaai)
وقال أبو حاتم الرازي: ضعيف، يكتب حديثه، وأبو نضرة أحب إلي منه. (تهذيب التهذيب 3/114)
وقال أبو داود السجستاني: ليس بالذي يعتمد عليه. (تهذيب التهذيب 3/114)
وقال الذهبي: ضعفوه. (الكاشف 3/421)
Al Dhahabi, they weakened him. (al Kashif 3, 421. Al Dhahabi)
وقال الساجي: ليس بحجة، وكان يقدم عليا على الكل. (تهذيب التهذيب 3/114)
Ibn Abbas said, regarding the saying of Allah, “Like the example of Shaytan” (al-Hashr: 16)
There was a monk during the period between prophets named Barsisa who worshipped in his hermitage for seventy years without disobeying Allah even for the blink of an eye.
Iblis became tired of him, so he gathered the strong devils and said, “Can I not find among you someone who will take care of the affair of Barsisa for me?” Al-Abyad said, “I will take care of him.”
He was the one assigned to the prophets, and he is the one who approached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the form of Jibril to whisper to him as if conveying revelation. Then Jibril entered between them and pushed him with his hand until he fell to the farthest part of India.
That is the meaning of Allah’s saying, “In the presence of the Lord of the Throne, secure in position” (at-Takwir: 20).
So al-Abyad set out, disguising himself in the clothing of monks, shaving the middle of his head, until he reached the hermitage of Barsisa. He called out to him but Barsisa did not respond, for he would not break from his prayer except once every ten days, nor would he eat except once every ten days.
He would continue fasting ten or twenty days or even more. When al-Abyad saw that he would not answer him, he began to worship at the base of the hermitage. When Barsisa finished his prayer and turned away, he saw al-Abyad standing in prayer with a beautiful appearance resembling that of the monks.
He regretted not answering him earlier and said, “What do you need?” He replied, “I wish to stay with you, to learn from your manners and to take from your acts of worship, so we may worship together.” Barsisa said, “I am occupied from you,” and returned to his prayer. Al-Abyad also continued his prayer.
When Barsisa saw his diligence and devotion, he asked, “What is your need?” He said, “That you permit me to ascend to you.” So he permitted him. Al-Abyad stayed with him for a year, fasting forty days before breaking the fast for one day, and not breaking from prayer except every forty days, and sometimes up to eighty.
When Barsisa saw his dedication, he felt small before him. Then al-Abyad said, “I have supplications by which Allah cures the sick, the afflicted, and the possessed.” He taught them to him. Then he went back to Iblis and said, “By Allah, I have destroyed the man.”
Then he appeared to a man and strangled him. He then came to his family in the form of a human being and said, “Your companion has been afflicted by madness. Shall I treat him?”
They said, “Yes.” He said, “I cannot overpower his jinn, but take him to Barsisa, for he has with him the greatest Name of Allah, by which, when asked, He gives, and when called upon, He answers.”
So they brought him to Barsisa, and he supplicated with those invocations, and the devil left the man. Al-Abyad continued doing this, afflicting people and sending them to Barsisa, who would then supplicate for them, and they would be cured.
Then al-Abyad went to a young woman, the daughter of a king, who had three brothers. Their father, the king, had died and was succeeded by his brother. Her uncle ruled over the Israelites. Al-Abyad tormented and strangled her, then came to them in the form of a man pretending to be a physician to treat her.
He said, “Her devil is strong and cannot be subdued, but take her to Barsisa, for when her devil comes to her, he will supplicate for her, and she will be cured.” They said, “He will not agree to that.” He said, “Then build for her a small hermitage beside his and leave her there, saying, ‘She is a trust with you, so seek reward in caring for her.’” They asked him for that, but he refused. So they built a hermitage and placed her inside it.
When Barsisa broke from his prayer, he saw the girl and the beauty she possessed. He was overtaken by temptation.
Then the devil came to her and strangled her again. Barsisa stopped his prayer, supplicated for her, and she recovered. He returned to his prayer, and the devil came back, strangling her again. He would uncover her and gaze at her. Then the devil came to him and said, “Woe to you, go to her, for you will not find anyone like her. Then repent after that.” He continued whispering to him until Barsisa committed the sin with her. She became pregnant, and the pregnancy was visible.
The devil said to him, “Woe to you, you are now disgraced. Would you not kill her and then repent, so you will not be exposed?
If they come asking you, tell them that her devil came and took her.” So Barsisa killed her and buried her at night. The devil took hold of a piece of her garment so that part of it remained visible above the soil. Barsisa returned to his prayer.
Then the devil went to her brothers in their sleep and said, “Barsisa did such and such to your sister, and killed her, and buried her at such and such a place.” They were alarmed and came to Barsisa saying, “What did you do with our sister?”
He said, “Her devil came and took her away.” They believed him and left. Then the devil came to them again in their dreams and said, “She is buried in such and such a place, and the edge of her garment is visible above the earth.” They went there, found her body, destroyed Barsisa’s hermitage, took him down, strangled him, and brought him before the king. He confessed, and the king ordered him to be executed.
When he was crucified, the devil came to him and said, “Do you know who I am?” He said, “No, by Allah.” He said, “I am your companion who taught you those invocations. Did you not fear Allah? Were you not ashamed, you who were the most devout of the Israelites? It was not enough for you to do what you did, until you exposed yourself and confessed, and disgraced those who were like you.
None who were upon your path ever prospered after you.” Barsisa said, “What should I do?” He said, “Obey me in one thing and I will save you from them and cover their sight from you.” Barsisa asked, “What is it?” He said, “Prostrate to me once.” Barsisa said, “I will do it.” So he prostrated to him besides Allah. The devil said, “O Barsisa, this is what I wanted from you. The end of your affair is that you disbelieved in your Lord. I am free of you. I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Dr. Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muhsin al-Turki said: Tafsir al-Baghawi 4/322–324, Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim 10/3348 (18860), and also narrated by al-Tabari 22/543 from Muhammad ibn Sa’d from his father, from his uncle, from his father, from his father, from Ibn Abbas. The narrator from Ibn Abbas is Atiyyah ibn Sa’d al-Awfi, and those before him in the chain are weak. Al-Khara’iti also narrated it in I’tilal al-Qulub pp. 115–116 through another chain from Ibn Abbas, and a similar version in shorter form.)
Tafsir Al Qurtubi (20/380-382)
