“We know of it being narrated only from Hudhayfah. Its chain of transmission is good; al-Salt is well-known, and there is no need to inquire into the standing of those after him.”

I say: Whether it was this one or that one, the hadith is good, Allah willing, since it has corroborating reports in general. Among them is the hadith of ‘Umar, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

“The thing I fear most for my Ummah is every hypocrite eloquent of tongue.”

Ahmad and others narrated it from ‘Umar with an authentic chain of transmission. It has been referenced earlier (3/11/1013). Al-Bayhaqi also narrated it in The Branches of Faith (2/284/1777) with the wording:

“…a hypocrite who speaks wisdom but acts unjustly.”

And there is the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the wording:

“If a man says to another man, ‘O disbeliever!’ then one of them has incurred it: if the one addressed is as he said, then so it is; otherwise, it returns upon the other.”

Ahmad (2/44), Muslim, and others narrated it. Its sourcing has already preceded under no. 2891 in the sixth volume.*

3202—“Whoever fasts perpetually, Hell will be constricted around him like this”—and he made the hand-sign for ninety.

Al-Tayalisi narrated it in his Musnad (514), and from him al-Bazzar in his Musnad (1041); likewise al-Bayhaqi (4/300): al-Dahhak ibn Yasar narrated to us, from Abu Tamimah, from Abu Musa, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with this wording.

Then al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Abi Shaybah (3/78), and Ahmad (4/414) also narrated it,