Musnad Abi Ya'la 192 — Alqamah bin Abdullah al-Muzani

Alqamah bin Abdullah al-Muzani (may Allah have mercy on him) relates that a man, whose name (the narrator) Awf had forgotten, said: I was in Madinah in a gathering in which Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was seated. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked one of those sitting with him: "How did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) describe (the growth of) Islam?" He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed, Islam began as a 'jadha'' (like a young camel), then it entered the stage of a 'thani' (the next stage), then it reached that of a 'raba'i', then it entered that of a 'sadis', and then it reached the stage of a 'bazil' (full maturity and complete prime)." Hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "And after full maturity (buzul) there is nothing but decline and loss." In the chain of this report Yazid explained that Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated this hadith in the mosque of Basrah, and that Awf had forgotten the name of the man who related this incident to Alqamah (may Allah have mercy on him).