At a glance
The story
Al-Muwatta relates that the Prophet ﷺ stopped one night on the road to Mecca; Bilal and the company slept until sunrise, so he ordered them to ride until they left the valley, saying there is a shaytan in it, then told Abu Bakr that the shaytan had come to Bilal while he stood praying, laid him down and soothed him like a child until he slept 1 Muwatta 26.
The meaning
This report shows the shaytan besets the night prayer — he laid Bilal down while he stood until he slept — and that the shaytan dwells in certain places; hence the Prophet ordered them out of that valley 1.
Notes
Among the reports of devils dealing with the righteous in the Prophet's journeys; this browser shows it in the devils section 1.
Connections
People and things also explored
Muwatta 26· Mecca· The three years of the secret call· The Hijra· Bilal ibn Rabah· Muhammad· The cleansing of the Kaaba and destruction of idols· The Battle of Badr
Sources
- Muwatta, recension of Yahya ibn Yahya al-Laythi (ed. Bashar Awwad Ma'ruf)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The shaytan lays Bilal down in the Mecca journey”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/bilal-and-shaytan-on-the-night-journey/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-11-10.
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