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.
muslim:2535aAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná And Ibn Bashhār > Ghundar > Ibn al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

The best among you (are) the people (who belong to) my age. Then those next to them, then those next to them, then those next to them. 'Imran said: I do not know whether Messenger of Allah ﷺ said twice or thrice (the words:" Then next" ) after (saying) about his (own age but he then said): Then after them (after successors or those who would succeed them) would come a people who would give evidence before they are asked for it, and would be dishonest and not trustworthy, who would make vows but would not fulfil them, and would be significant in being bulky.  

مسلم:٢٥٣٥aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَابْنُ بَشَّارٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ غُنْدَرٍ قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَمْرَةَ حَدَّثَنِي زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يُحَدِّثُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ خَيْرَكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُتَّمَنُونَ وَيَنْذُرُونَ وَلاَ يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:2651Ādam > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

I heard ʿImran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation)." ʿImran said "I do not know whether the Prophet ﷺ mentioned two or three generations after your present generation. The Prophet ﷺ added, 'There will be some people after you, who will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy and will give witness (evidences) without being asked to give witness, and will vow but will not fulfill their vows, and obesity will appear among them."  

البخاري:٢٦٥١حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَمْرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَهْدَمَ بْنَ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ لاَ أَدْرِي أَذَكَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَعْدُ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ بَعْدَكُمْ قَوْمًا يَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

bukhari:3650Isḥāq > al-Naḍr > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

"Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'The best of my followers are those living in my generation (i.e. my contemporaries). and then those who will follow the latter" ʿImran added, "I do not remember whether he mentioned two or three generations after his generation, then the Prophet ﷺ added, 'There will come after you, people who will bear witness without being asked to do so, and will be treacherous and untrustworthy, and they will vow and never fulfill their vows, and fatness will appear among them."  

البخاري:٣٦٥٠حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي جَمْرَةَ سَمِعْتُ زَهْدَمَ بْنَ مُضَرِّبٍ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ ؓ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَذَكَرَ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعْدَكُمْ قَوْمًا يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَنْذُرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

bukhari:6695Musaddad > Yaḥyá > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

ʿImran bin Hussain said, "The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best of you (people) are my generation, and the second best will be those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the second generation." ʿImran added, "I do not remember whether he mentioned two or three (generations) after his generation. He added, 'Then will come some people who will make vows but will not fulfill them; and they will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy, and they will give their witness without being asked to give their witness, and fatness will appear among them.' "  

البخاري:٦٦٩٥حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَمْرَةَ حَدَّثَنَا زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يُحَدِّثُ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ لاَ أَدْرِي ذَكَرَ ثِنْتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ يَنْذُرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

bukhari:6428Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Ghundar > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

ʿImran bin Husain said: The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are my contemporaries (i.e., the present (my) generation) and then those who come after them (i.e., the next generation)." ʿImran added: I am not sure whether the Prophet ﷺ repeated the statement twice after his first saying. The Prophet ﷺ added, "And after them there will come people who will bear witness, though they will not be asked to give their witness; and they will be treacherous and nobody will trust them, and they will make vows, but will not fulfill them, and fatness will appear among them."  

البخاري:٦٤٢٨حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَمْرَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَمَا أَدْرِي قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

nasai:3809Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > Khālid > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn Yadhkur

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The best of you are my generation, then those who come after them, then those whom after them, then those who come after them.' -I do not know if he said two times after him or three. Then he mentioned some people who betray and cannot be trusted, who bear witness without being asked to do so, who make vows and do not fulfill them, and fatness will prevail among them."  

النسائي:٣٨٠٩أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي جَمْرَةَ عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يَذْكُرُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَذَكَرَ مَرَّتَيْنِ بَعْدَهُ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ قَوْمًا يَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيُنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ أَبُو جَمْرَةَ  

ahmad:19835Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah And Ḥajjāj > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib

The best among you (are) the people (who belong to) my age. Then those next to them, then those next to them, then those next to them. 'Imran said: I do not know whether Messenger of Allah ﷺ said twice or thrice (the words:" Then next" ) after (saying) about his (own age but he then said): Then after them (after successors or those who would succeed them) would come a people who would give evidence before they are asked for it, and would be dishonest and not trustworthy, who would make vows but would not fulfil them, and would be significant in being bulky. (Using translation from Muslim 2535a)  

أحمد:١٩٨٣٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ وَحَجَّاجٌ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَمْرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَهْدَمَ بْنَ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ حَجَّاجٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ جَاءَنِي زَهْدَمٌ فِي دَارِي فَحَدَّثَنِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يُحَدِّثُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ خَيْرَكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَلَا أَدْرِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلَا يُتَّمَنُونَ وَيَنْذُرُونَ وَلَا يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

ahmad:19906Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of you is my generation, then those who follow them, and then those who follow them. I do not know if it is two times or three times, then there will come a people after you who will make promises but not fulfill them, who will lie and not be true, who will bear witness but not be trusted, and who will spread corruption among them."  

أحمد:١٩٩٠٦حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَمْرَةَ حَدَّثَنِي زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ لَا أَدْرِي مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً ثُمَّ يَأْتِي أَوْ يَجِيءُ بَعْدَكُمْ قَوْمٌ يَنْذُرُونَ فَلَا يُوفُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلَا يُتَّمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَفْشُو فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

tabarani:15732[Chain 1] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdūs b. Kāmil > ʿAlī b. al-Jaʿd [Chain 2] Abū Muslim al-Kashhī > ʿAmr b. Ḥakkām > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. al-Ḥuṣayn

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of you is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them." Imran said, "I do not know if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned after his generation two generations or three, then there will be people who give testimony without being asked to, and they will betray trust, and they will make false promises, and they will have fat in their bodies." And the wording is for Amr ibn Hakkam.  

الطبراني:١٥٧٣٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدُوسِ بْنِ كَامِلٍ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْجَعْدِ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ الْكَشِّيُّ ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ حَكَّامٍ قَالَا ثنا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي جَمْرَةَ حَدَّثَنِي زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ» قَالَ عِمْرَانُ لَا أَدْرِي ذَكَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا «ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلَا يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَقُولُونَ وَلَا يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ» وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ حَكَّامٍ  

nasai-kubra:4732Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > Khālid > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah Wāsmuh Naṣr b. ʿImrān > Zahdam > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn Yadhkur

I heard ʿImran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation)." ʿImran said "I do not know whether the Prophet ﷺ mentioned two or three generations after your present generation. The Prophet ﷺ added, 'There will be some people after you, who will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy and will give witness (evidences) without being asked to give witness, and will vow but will not fulfill their vows, and obesity will appear among them." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2651)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٤٧٣٢أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي جَمْرَةَ وَاسْمُهُ نَصْرُ بْنُ عِمْرَانَ عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ يَذْكُرُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ» فَلَا أَدْرِي ذَكَرَ قَرْنَيْنِ بَعْدُ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ قَوْمًا يَخُونُونَ وَلَا يَؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلَا يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

bayhaqi:20388Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Aḥmad b. ʿAbdān > Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. Aḥmad b. Maḥmawayh al-ʿAskarī > Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad al-Qalānisī > Ādam b. Abū Iyās > Shuʿbah > Abū Jamrah > Zahdam b. Muḍarrib > ʿImrān b. Ḥuṣayn

I heard ʿImran bin Husain saying, "The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The best people are those living in my generation, then those coming after them, and then those coming after (the second generation)." ʿImran said "I do not know whether the Prophet ﷺ mentioned two or three generations after your present generation. The Prophet ﷺ added, 'There will be some people after you, who will be dishonest and will not be trustworthy and will give witness (evidences) without being asked to give witness, and will vow but will not fulfill their vows, and obesity will appear among them." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2651)   

البيهقي:٢٠٣٨٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مَحْمَوَيْهِ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ ثنا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَلَانِسِيُّ ثنا آدَمُ بْنُ أَبِي إِيَاسٍ ثنا شُعْبَةُ ثنا أَبُو جَمْرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَهْدَمَ بْنَ مُضَرِّبٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ ؓ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ قَالَ عِمْرَانُ بْنُ حُصَيْنٍ لَا أَدْرِي أَذَكَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَعْدَكُمْ قَوْمًا يَخُونُونَ وَلَا يُؤْتَمَنُونَ وَيَشْهَدُونَ وَلَا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلَا يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ آدَمَ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ أَوْجُهٍ أُخَرَ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ
suyuti:14009a
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السيوطي:١٤٠٠٩a

"خَيْرُكم قرنى، ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم الذين يلونهم، ثم يكون بعدهم قوم يخونون ولا يُؤتمنون، ويشهدون ولا يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، ويَنذِرون ولا يَفُون، ويظهر فيهم السِّمَنُ".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي [ن] النسائي عن عمران بن حصين