Bayan Al-Hadith › Sahih Muslim › The Book of the Merits of the Companions
Sahih Muslim 2535aصحيح مسلم 2535a
حَدَّثَنَا 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ خَيْرَكُمْ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ " . قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَلاَ أَدْرِي أَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةً " ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُتَّمَنُونَ وَيَنْذُرُونَ وَلاَ يُوفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ " .
Imran b. Husain reported Allah's-Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: 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 Allah's Messenger (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.
Grading
Sahih (authentic by the consensus of hadith scholars)
Chain of narrators
عبد الله بن محمد ← محمد بن جعفر
Abdullah ibn Muhammad → Muhammad ibn Ja'far