English Translation

Muhammad ibn Ja'far told us: Awf told us, saying: Alqamah al-Muzani told me, saying: A man told me: I was in a gathering in Madinah in which Umar ibn al-Khattab was present, and he said to a man among the people: "O so-and-so, how did you hear the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, describe Islam?" He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "Islam began weak like a young camel, then like a two-year-old, then a three-year-old, then a four-year-old, then a mature, fully-grown camel." Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "And after full maturity there is nothing but decline."