حَدَّثَنَا
عَفَّانُ ، حَدَّثَنَا
حَمَّادُ بنُ سَلَمَةَ ، عَنِ
الْجُرَيْرِيِّ ، عَنْ
أَبي نَضْرَةَ ، عَنْ
عَبدِ اللَّهِ بنِ مَوَلَةَ ، قَالَ : كُنْتُ أَسِيرُ مَعَ
برَيْدَةَ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ ، فَقَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ :
" خَيْرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ بعِثْتُ أَنَا فِيهِمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ قَوْمٌ تَسْبقُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ ، وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ " ، وَقَالَ عَفَّانُ مَرَّةً : " الْقَرْنُ الَّذِينَ بعِثْتُ فِيهِمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ".
Abdullah bin Mula says that one day I was walking in "Ahwaz" when I saw a man ahead of me riding a mule and saying, "O Allah! My time has passed from this Ummah, so include me among them." I said, "Please include me in your supplication as well." He said, "If my companion also wishes, then (may he be included)." Then he said that the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The best of my Ummah are those of my era, then those who come after them (I do not remember whether he mentioned the third time or not), then there will come people among whom obesity will prevail, and they will be ready to give testimony without being asked."