He heard the Prophet ﷺ say, "Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began, so blessed are the strangers."Someone asked, "Messenger of Allah, who are the strangers?"He replied, "Those who set things right when the people have grown corrupt. By the One in whose hand my soul rests, faith will be drawn together to Madinah just as a flood gathers its waters. By the One in whose hand my soul rests, Islam will retreat to the area between the two mosques just as a snake retreats into its hole."
حدثنا عبد الله قال حدثنا أبو أحمد الهيثم بن خارجة قال حدثنا إسماعيل بن عياش عن إسحاق بن عبد الله بن أبي فروة عن يوسف بن سليمان عن جدته ميمونة
أنه سمع النبي ﷺ يقول بدأ الإسلام غريبا ثم يعود غريبا كما بدأ فطوبى للغرباء قيل يا رسول الله ومن الغرباء قال الذين يصلحون إذا فسد الناس والذي نفسي بيده ليحازن الإيمان إلى المدينة كما يحوز السيل والذي نفسي بيده ليأرزن الإسلام إلى ما بين المسجدين كما تأرز الحية إلى جحرها
Its isnad is daif due to Ishaq bin Abdullah bin Abu Farwa, whose weakness is agreed upon, and due to the weakness of Yusuf bin Sulayman and the obscurity of his narration. The hadith itself is sahih, reported by Muslim, 1/131, no. 146, and we have already commented on it. See 15742. This hadith is among the additions.