Point No: 151: “Beware and then Beware of the people of your time specifically. Look towards the one whom you sit with and the one whom you listen to and the one whom you accompany. For indeed it is as if the majority of the people have apostatised except those whom Allāh ﷻ has protected from amongst them.”
The Explanation:
As for his statement “Beware and then beware of the people of your time specifically…” this is because during the time of the author – Imām al-Barbahārī, there was a great amount of trials and tribulations. So he warned against every era in which wickedness, desires and innovations appeared. And this warning is not specific to his time, rather in every time and era which appears in it wickedness, innovations and propagations to falsehood. As a result the warning is emphasised so the Muslim should be cautious.
His statements “For indeed it is as if the majority of the people have apostatised expect those whom Allāh ﷻ has had mercy on.” This is referring to his era and likewise it is repetitive. It is more severe – and Allāh ﷻ knows best, in our time and what is to come after this era, because in every era there is an increase of trials and tribulations, evil and wickedness (than the one before it), the sunnah becomes something strange and those who hold firmly onto it become few in number. So the dangers are greater.