Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:3963Azhar b. Saʿd > Ibn ʿAwn > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

The best among people are of my generation, then those next to them. (The narrator said): I do not know whether (he said) it three times or four times. Then there would fellow after them such persons whose evidence would precede the oath, and in case of some others, the oath (would precede) the evidence. (Using translation from Muslim 2533d)   

أحمد:٣٩٦٣حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَقْرَانِي الَّذِينَ يَلُونِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ وَلَا أَدْرِي أَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ ثُمَّ يَخْلُفُ بَعْدَهُمْ خَلْفٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:2652Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then whose who follow the latter. After that there will come some people whose witness will go ahead of their oaths, and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." Ibrahim (a sub-narrator) said, "We used to be beaten for taking oaths by saying, 'I bear witness by the Name of Allah or by the Covenant of Allah."  

البخاري:٢٦٥٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ أَقْوَامٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَكَانُوا يَضْرِبُونَنَا عَلَى الشَّهَادَةِ وَالْعَهْدِ  

bukhari:3651Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Sufyān > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter. Then there will come some people who will bear witness before taking oaths, and take oaths before bearing witness." (Ibrahim, a sub-narrator said, "They used to beat us for witnesses and covenants when we were still children.")  

البخاري:٣٦٥١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَكَانُوا يَضْرِبُونَا عَلَى الشَّهَادَةِ وَالْعَهْدِ وَنَحْنُ صِغَارٌ  

bukhari:6429ʿAbdān > Abū Ḥamzah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them (the next generation), and then those who will come after them (i.e. the next generation), and then after them, there will come people whose witness will precede their oaths, and whose oaths will precede their witness."  

البخاري:٦٤٢٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ  

muslim:2533dal-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī al-Ḥulwānī > Azhar b. Saʿd al-Sammān > Ibn ʿAwn > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

The best among people are of my generation, then those next to them. (The narrator said): I do not know whether (he said) it three times or four times. Then there would fellow after them such persons whose evidence would precede the oath, and in case of some others, the oath (would precede) the evidence.  

مسلم:٢٥٣٣dوَحَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ السَّمَّانُ عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ فَلاَ أَدْرِي فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ يَتَخَلَّفُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ  

ahmad:4173Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Manṣūr And Sulaymān > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah al-Salmānī > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] "From the Prophet ﷺ, he said: The best among you are those of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them. Then, there will come a people who will precede their oaths with their testimonies and their testimonies with their oaths."  

أحمد:٤١٧٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ السَّلْمَانِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَخْلُفُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَاتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَاتِهِمْ  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَمَّا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ مِنْ حَفْظِ نَفْسِهِ فِي الْأَيْمَانِ وَالشَّهَادَاتِ

ibnhibban:4328Abū Yaʿlá > Abū Khaythamah > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, 'Which of the people are best?' He said: 'My generation, then those that follow them, then those that follow them. Then there will come people whose testimony precedes their oath and whose oath precedes their testimony.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2362)  

ابن حبّان:٤٣٢٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَيُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ؟ قَالَ «قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَبْدُرُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ خَيْرَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ الصَّحَابَةُ ثُمَّ التَّابِعُونَ

ibnhibban:7222al-Faḍl b. al-Ḥubāb al-Jumaḥī > Muḥammad b. Kathīr al-ʿAbdī > Sufyān al-Thawrī > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, 'Which of the people are best?' He said: 'My generation, then those that follow them, then those that follow them. Then there will come people whose testimony precedes their oath and whose oath precedes their testimony.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2362)   

ابن حبّان:٧٢٢٢أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ الْجُمَحِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ الْعَبْدِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ أَقْوَامٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ قَوْلَهُ ﷺ «خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي» أَرَادَ بِهِ الصَّحَابَةَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا قَبْلَهُ وَبَعْدَهُ

ibnhibban:7223Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Junayd > Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Abū al-Aḥwaṣ > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah al-Salmānī > ʿAbdullāh

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked, 'Which of the people are best?' He said: 'My generation, then those that follow them, then those that follow them. Then there will come people whose testimony precedes their oath and whose oath precedes their testimony.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2362)   

ابن حبّان:٧٢٢٣أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْجُنَيْدِ حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ السَّلْمَانِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ يَلُونِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ عُمُومَ هَذَا الْخَطَّابِ أُرِيدَ بِهِ بَعْضُ الْأُمَّةِ لَا الْكُلُّ

ibnhibban:7227al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū al-Aḥwaṣ > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

The best of my Umma would be those of the generation nearest to mine. Then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them, then people would come whose witness would precede the oath and the oath will precede the witness. Hannad has not made the mention of Qarn in his narration. Qutaiba said that, instead of the word Qaum, the word Aqwam has been used. (Using translation from Muslim 2533a)   

ابن حبّان:٧٢٢٧أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ يَلُونِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهُمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الْمُدْحِضِ قَوْلَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ النَّاسَ قَدِ اسْتَوَوْا فِي الْفَضِيلَةِ بَعْدَ التَّابِعِينَ

ibnhibban:7228al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAbdullāh al-Qaṭṭān > Nūḥ b. Ḥabīb > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them (the next generation), and then those who will come after them (i.e. the next generation), and then after them, there will come people whose witness will precede their oaths, and whose oaths will precede their witness." (Using translation from Bukhārī 6429)  

ابن حبّان:٧٢٢٨أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقَطَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا نُوحُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ»  

tabarani:10338Abū Muslim al-Kashhī > ʿAbdullāh b. Rajāʾ > Shaybān b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Naḥwī Abū Muʿāwiyah > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd

[Machine] I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Who are the best people?" He replied, "Those of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them, and then a group will come whose testimony will precede their oath and their oath will be followed by their testimony."  

الطبراني:١٠٣٣٨حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ الْكَشِّيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ أنا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ النَّحْوِيُّ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَيُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ؟ فَقَالَ «قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ يَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ»  

nasai-kubra:11750Qutaybah > Abū al-Aḥwaṣ > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah b. ʿAmr al-Salmānī > Ibn Masʿūd

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The people of my generation are the best, then those who follow them, and then whose who follow the latter. After that there will come some people whose witness will go ahead of their oaths, and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." Ibrahim (a sub-narrator) said, "We used to be beaten for taking oaths by saying, 'I bear witness by the Name of Allah or by the Covenant of Allah." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2652)   

الكبرى للنسائي:١١٧٥٠عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْأَحْوَصِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو السَّلْمَانِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ يَلُونِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ أَقْوَامٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدُهُمْ يَمِينًَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتهُ»  

nasai-kubra:5988Aḥmad b. ʿUthmān > Azhar > Ibn ʿAwn > Ibrāhīm > ʿUbaydah > ʿAbdullāh

The best among people are of my generation, then those next to them. (The narrator said): I do not know whether (he said) it three times or four times. Then there would fellow after them such persons whose evidence would precede the oath, and in case of some others, the oath (would precede) the evidence. (Using translation from Muslim 2533d)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٨٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ فَلَا أَدْرِي فِي الرَّابِعَةِ أَوِ الثَّالِثَةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ يَخْلُفُ بَعْدَهُمْ خَلْفٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ  

bayhaqi:20598Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ from my father

[Machine] About the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that he said, "The best people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them." He said, "And I do not know whether he said it in the third or fourth generation." Then there will come after them a generation that witnesses by oath, and their oath will suffice them.  

البيهقي:٢٠٥٩٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو عَمْرٍو عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الدَّقَّاقُ وَأَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْأُمَوِيُّ وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ الْقَنْطَرِيُّ وَأَبُو أَحْمَدَ بَكْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَمْدَانَ الصَّيْرَفِيُّ قَالُوا ثنا أَبُو قِلَابَةَ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ثنا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ السَّمَّانُ ثنا ابْنُ عَوْنٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ وَلَا أَدْرِي قَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ ثُمَّ يَخْلُفُ بَعْدَهُمْ خَلْفٌ يَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ أَزْهَرَ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
suyuti:13859a
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السيوطي:١٣٨٥٩a

"خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قرنِى، ثم الذين يلُونَهم، ثم الذينَ يلُونَهُم، ثُم يجئُ أقوامٌ تَسْبِقُ شهادةُ أحدِهِم يمِينهُ ويمِينُه شَهَادته".  

[ش] ابن أبى شيبة [حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [ت] الترمذي [هـ] ابن ماجة عن ابن مسعود، [ش] ابن أبى شيبة [حم] أحمد [طب] الطبرانى في الكبير عن النعمان بن بشير