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)  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ «خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ»  

"أحسنوا إلى أصحابى ثم الذينَ يلونَهم، ثم الذين يلونَهم".  

"أَشدُّ الناسِ بَلاءً الأنبياءُ، ثُمَّ الَّذين يلونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الذَّين يَلُونهم".  

"سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ : أَىُّ النَّاس أَفْضَلُ؟ قَالَ: قَرْنِى، ثُمَّ الَّذينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ".