Sahih
Muslim
صحيح مسلم
44
The Book of the Merits of the Companions
كتاب فضائل الصحابة رضى الله تعالى عنهم
Chapter 52: The Virtues Of the Sahabah, Then Those Who Come After Them, Then Those Who Come After Them
باب فَضْلِ الصَّحَابَةِ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ
Sahih Muslim 2533 d
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying
The best among people are of my generation, then those next to them. (The narrator said): I do not know whether (he said) it three times or four times. Then there would fellow after them such persons whose evidence would precede the oath, and in case of some others, the oath (would precede) the evidence.وَحَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَزْهَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ السَّمَّانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ " . فَلاَ أَدْرِي فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ قَالَ " ثُمَّ يَتَخَلَّفُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ يَمِينَهُ وَيَمِينُهُ شَهَادَتَهُ " .
Grade: Sahih