See al-Sahihah, nos. 1646 and 1733.

2850 — “Islam has its zeal, and every zeal has a period of slackening. If the one experiencing both remains upright and moderate, then hold hope for him; but if people point to him with their fingers, then do not hold hope for him.”

Al-Tahawi narrated it in Mushkil al-Athar (2/89), as did Tammam (163/1), through Bakkar ibn Qutaybah: Safwan ibn Isa narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ajlan narrated to us, from al-Qa‘qa‘ ibn Hakim, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet. I say: This is a good chain of transmission. All its narrators are trustworthy, despite the well-known disagreement concerning Ibn Ajlan. Bakkar ibn Qutaybah was one of Ibn Khuzaymah’s shaykhs, and Ibn Hibban deemed him trustworthy (8/152). He has a favorable biographical notice in Tarikh Ibn Asakir (3/411–415). He was a judge and adhered to the Hanafi school. Safwan ibn Isa was trustworthy and among Muslim’s narrators.

Hatim ibn Isma‘il corroborated him, narrating it from Muhammad ibn Ajlan. Al-Tirmidhi (2455) and Ibn Hibban (652) narrated it. Al-Tirmidhi said: “Good, authentic, and singular.”

The hadith also has a corroborating report through Ibn Ishaq: Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki narrated to me from Abu al-Abbas, the freedman of Banu al-Dayl, from Abdullah ibn Amr, who said: Men among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who exerted themselves intensely in worship were mentioned to him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “That is Islam’s fervor and its zeal. Every fervor has a zeal, and every zeal has a period of slackening. Thus, whoever