A man left his house on a dark night to offer prayer in the mosque. Because of the darkness he stumbled and fell face-first into the mud. Getting up from the mud, he went back home, changed his clothes, and set out again toward the mosque.

He had not even walked a few steps when he stumbled again and fell into the mud once more.

Getting up from the mud, he went back home once again, changed his clothes, and came out of his house again to go to the mosque.

At the door of his house he met a man who was holding a lit lamp in his hand.

The man with the lamp silently walked ahead of the worshipper toward the mosque.

This time, in the light of the lamp, the worshipper did not face any difficulty in reaching the mosque, and he reached the mosque safely. Upon reaching the door of the mosque, the man with the lamp stopped.

The worshipper left him there and entered the mosque and began to offer his prayer. Having finished the prayer, he came out of the mosque and saw that the man with the lamp was waiting for him so that he could take him back home again in the light of the lamp.

The worshipper asked that stranger:

Who are you?

The stranger said, to tell the truth, I am Iblis.

The worshipper’s astonishment knew no bounds.

He asked,

You should have been happy at my prayer being missed.

Then why did you bring me to the mosque in the light of the lamp?

Iblis replied,

When you stumbled the first time, Allah forgave the sins of your entire lifetime.

When you stumbled the second time, He forgave your entire family.

I became worried that now if you stumble and fall, Allah might forgive your entire village,

That is why I have come with a lamp, so that you reach the mosque without falling..