1710 — Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Basir informed us. He said: Uthman ibn Ahmad informed us. He said: Hanbal narrated to us. He said: Abu Abd Allah—that is, Ahmad ibn Hanbal—narrated to me. He said: Yazid narrated to us. He said: Jarir ibn Uthman narrated to us. He said: I heard our shaykhs, or some of our shaykhs, relate that Abu al-Darda’ said:

“Part of a servant’s understanding of the religion is that he should examine his faith and what has diminished from it. Part of a servant’s understanding of the religion is that he should know whether he is increasing or decreasing. And part of a man’s understanding of the religion is that he should know from where Satan’s promptings come upon him.”