The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "This religion is strong, so penetrate it gently."
قال عبد الله وجدت في كتاب أبي بخط يده حدثنا زيد بن الحباب قال أخبرني عمرو بن حمزة حدثنا خلف أبو الربيع إمام مسجد سعيد بن أبي عروبة
قال رسول الله ﷺ إن هذا الدين متين فأوغلوا فيه برفق
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Its isnad is hasan. The scholars have differed regarding Khalaf bin Mihran Abu Rabi, imam of the masjid of Abu Aruba, as to whether he is different from the imam of the masjid of Bani Adi or whether they are one and the same. The apparent wording of Mizzi does not distinguish between them, rather it indicates that they are one, since he treated the masjid as a single one. There is nothing objectionable in the isnad except the statement of Haythami (1/62) that Khalaf did not meet Anas, and that Mizzi did not mention his narration from Anas, but rather it was Ibn Abu Hatim who mentioned it. So doubt remains regarding this.The hadith was also narrated from Jabir in Zuhd of Ibn Mubarak (415, no. 1178), where it is sahih according to him, and from his route Bayhaqi (3/18) and Shihab of Qudai (2/184, no. 1147) narrated it.