In the Sahih it is related from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The best people of my community are those of my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” ʿImrān added, “I am not sure whether the Prophet mentioned after his generation two times or three.” He then said, “After you there will come people who give testimony without being asked to do so, who betray and are not trustworthy, who make vows yet do not fulfil them, and obesity will spread among them.” (1)

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In the Sahih: that is, in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.

qarnī: the people of my generation, i.e., the Companions; a qarn (generation) is every group of people who live in the same era.

then those who follow them: i.e., the Successors (tābiʿūn).

then those who follow them: i.e., the Successors of the Successors (atbāʿ al-tābiʿīn).

“they give testimony”: meaning false testimony.

“and are not asked to testify”: because of their manifest impiety or because they treat testimony lightly and show no concern for truthfulness.

“they betray”: they betray those who entrust them.

“and are not trusted”: people refrain from trusting them because their treachery is obvious.

“they make vows yet do not fulfil them”: they fail to discharge what their vows have made incumbent upon them.

“obesity will spread among them”: that is, an abundance of flesh brought on by luxurious living and heedlessness of the Hereafter.