This Hadith Conveys A General Meaning

Question :

As the new Hijri year arrived, I remembered this Hadith:
"Every new era is worse than the one that came before it."

The meaning of this Hadith is implied in a number of other Hadiths as well, but what about times when disbelief and ignorance and innovations are prevalent, only to be followed by times when Tawhid and knowledge become prevalent while innovations disappear. This happened in the Arabian Peninsula before and after the advent of Shaykh Muhammad bin 'Abdul-Wahhab. How then can we reconcile between the implications of the Hadith and between what sometimes actually happens?

Answer:

This Hadith was narrated by Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, when people complained to him about the tyranny of Al-Hajjaj Ath-Thaqafi, so he said that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Every new era is worse than the one that came before it, until you meet your Lord."

But in trying to understand this Hadith, you should not look at a specific person, a specific event, or a specific time; instead, you should look at the general trend, for if disbelief was prevalent in a certain country but was then removed, this does not mean that it is removed from the rest of the world. The Hadith is general in its implications and is referring to what occurs most of the time.

So whatever good occurs after evil, even if it is general, then that event is isolated, based upon this Hadith.

Source:
Ibn 'Uthaimeen
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7 Page 216