Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us — and the wording is that of Ibn al-Muthanna — they said: Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Shu'bah informed us, saying: I heard Qatadah narrating from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Indeed, the Ansar are my inner circle and my confidants. And indeed, the people will increase in number while they [the Ansar] will decrease. So accept from their righteous ones and pardon their wrongdoers."