Muwatta 479

A saying transmitted by Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id, in the chapter on practice in the congregational prayer: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said to a man that they are in a time whose jurists are many and whose reciters are few, in which the limits of the Qur'an are kept and its letters lost; few ask and many give; they lengthen the prayer and shorten the sermon, and do their deeds before their desires. A time will come in which the jurists are few and the reciters many, the letters of the Qur'an are kept and its limits lost, many ask and few give, they lengthen the sermon and shorten the prayer, and show their desires before their deeds. The editor notes that Abu Mus'ab transmitted it, and that Abd al-Razzaq reported a similar saying from Ma'mar from Abu Ishaq from Abu al-Ahwas from Ibn Mas'ud, adding "this is our time". The chain through Yahya ibn Sa'id to Ibn Mas'ud is broken. ¹

Belongs to the Muwatta, Book of Prayer. Source: the Muwatta. Mentions Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and Yahya ibn Sa'id ibn Qays al-Ansari. Built on in the chapters on prayer.