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.
nasai-kubra:5987Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > 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)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٨٧أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

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


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, 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:6658Saʿd b. Ḥafṣ > Shaybān > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ was asked, "Who are the best people?" He replied: The people of my generation, and then those who will follow (come after) them, and then those who will come after the later; after that there will come some people whose witness will precede their oaths and their oaths will go ahead of their witness." Ibrahim (a sub-narrator) said, "When we were young, our elder friends used to prohibit us from taking oaths by saying, 'I bear witness swearing by Allah, or by Allah's Covenant."'  

البخاري:٦٦٥٨حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُنَا يَنْهَوْنَا وَنَحْنُ غِلْمَانٌ أَنْ نَحْلِفَ بِالشَّهَادَةِ وَالْعَهْدِ  

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:2533aQutaybah b. Saʿīd And Hannād b. al-Sarī > Abū al-Aḥwaṣ > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm b. Yazīd > ʿAbīdah al-Salmānī > 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.  

مسلم:٢٥٣٣aحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَهَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ 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 لَمْ يَذْكُرْ هَنَّادٌ الْقَرْنَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَقَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ أَقْوَامٌ  

muslim:2533bʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah And ʾIsḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Ḥanẓalī > Isḥāq > ʿUthmān > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

It was asked from Allah's Apostle ﷺ who amongst the people were the best. He said: (People) of my generation, then those next to them, then those next to them, then there would come a people whose evidence would precede their oath and their oath would precede their evidence. Ibrahim said: They forbade us to make vows and bear witness when we were too young.  

مسلم:٢٥٣٣bحَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَبْدُرُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَتَبْدُرُ يَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ كَانُوا يَنْهَوْنَنَا وَنَحْنُ غِلْمَانٌ عَنِ الْعَهْدِ وَالشَّهَادَاتِ  

ibnmajah:2362ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah And ʿAmrū b. Rāfiʿ > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah al-Salmānī

“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.”  

ابن ماجة:٢٣٦٢حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَعَمْرُو بْنُ رَافِعٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ السَّلْمَانِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَبْدُرُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ  

ahmad:4130ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Sufyān > Manṣūr > Ibrāhīm > ʿAbīdah > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] From the Prophet ﷺ that he said: "The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. Then, there will come a people who precede their testimony with their oath, and their oath will be their testimony." He said: "Our companions used to teach us while we were young to give testimony and fulfill our promises."  

أحمد:٤١٣٠حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثَلَاثًا أَوْ أَرْبَعًا ثُمَّ يَجِيءُقَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ قَالَ وَكَانَ أَصْحَابُنَا يَضْرِبُونَا وَنَحْنُ صِبْيَانٌ عَلَى الشَّهَادَةِ وَالْعَهْدِ  

ahmad:4217Wakīʿ > 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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 6429)  

أحمد:٤٢١٧حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ  

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»  

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»  

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