'A'isha reported that a person asked Allah's Apostle ﷺ as to who amongst the people were the best. He said: Of the generation to which I belong, then of the second generation (generation adjacent to my generation), then of the third generation (generation adjacent to the second generation).

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَشُجَاعُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا
حُسَيْنٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجُعْفِيُّ - عَنْ زَائِدَةَ، عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَهِيِّ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ،
قَالَتْ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَىُّ النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ
" الْقَرْنُ الَّذِي أَنَا فِيهِ
ثُمَّ الثَّانِي ثُمَّ الثَّالِثُ " .