`Imran 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)." `Imran 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."
The Excellence of the Early Generations
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ established the superiority of the Sahaba (his contemporaries) and the Tabi'un (those who followed them) in knowledge, faith, and righteous deeds. This precedence is based on their direct reception of revelation, their unparalleled sacrifice in establishing Islam, and their pure understanding of the religion without the deviations that emerged later.
Characteristics of Later Declining Generations
The Prophet ﷺ described people who would come after the blessed generations with several corrupt traits: They would give witness without being asked, indicating meddlesomeness and desire for prominence. They would be treacherous and untrustworthy in their covenants and dealings. They would make vows but not fulfill them, showing disregard for religious commitments. Physical fatness would appear among them, indicating excessive indulgence in worldly pleasures and comforts.
Scholarly Commentary on the Hadith
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains in Fath al-Bari that this hadith contains prophecies about conditions that would appear in the Ummah. The mention of "fatness" signifies not merely physical appearance but reflects spiritual stagnation and attachment to worldly luxuries. The failure to fulfill vows indicates weakening faith and disregard for religious obligations. These signs serve as warnings for Muslims to constantly evaluate their spiritual state and adhere to the way of the Salaf.