عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «خَيْرُ أُمَّتِي قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ - قَالَ عِمْرَانُ: فَلاَ أَدْرِي، أَذَكَرَ بَعْدَ قَرْنِهِ قَرْنَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا؟ - ثُمَّ إِنَّ بَعْدَكُمْ قَوْمًا يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ، وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ، وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ».
‘Imrān ibn Ḥuṣayn narrated that God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
The best of my community are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow. ‘Imrān said: I am unsure whether God’s Messenger said twice or three times after his generation. Then there will come after them people who bear witness without being asked; are untrue to a trust, pledge but do not fulfil, and obesity will spread among them.
‘Imrān ibn Ḥuṣayn ibn ‘Ubayd’s appellation was Abu Nujayd. He belonged to the Khuzā‘ah tribe. He embraced Islam in Year 7 AH, 629 CE, which witnessed the Battle of Khaybar. He carried the banner of the Khuzā‘ah in the Muslim army which took over Makkah. ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb sent him to Basrah to teach Islam to its population. He was known to have his supplication answered. He did not participate in the events and troubles that led to the assassination of the third caliph, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān. He died in Year 53 AH 671 CE.
