It also has a corroborating report narrated by Abu Yahya al-Qattat, from Mujahid, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Allah has angels who roam throughout the earth and convey to me messages from my ummah: ‘So-and-so sends you greetings and invokes blessings upon you; so-and-so invokes blessings upon you and sends you greetings.’”

Ibn ‘Adi recorded it in al-Kamil (3/238), in his biographical entry on this Abu Yahya, who is al-Qattat. He concluded his entry by saying: “There are some questionable matters in his hadith, though his hadith may be recorded.” This indicates that he is suitable for use as corroborating evidence. Similar to this is al-Hafiz’s statement in al-Taqrib: “Weak in hadith.”

2854 — “The likeness of one who commits evil deeds and then performs good deeds is that of a man wearing a tight coat of mail that has choked him. Then he performs a good deed, and one ring comes loose; then he performs another good deed, and another ring comes loose, until he emerges onto the ground.”

Imam Ahmad recorded it (4/145) through the route of ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak, who said: Ibn Lahi‘ah informed us; he said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me; he said: Abu al-Khayr narrated to us that he heard ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: …

I say: This chain of transmission consists of trustworthy narrators, except that Ibn Lahi‘ah had poor retention. However, it is narrated from him by Ibn al-Mubarak, and this transmission is authentic, as has been stated repeatedly above.