What is your response to the Rafidah’s use of the hadith of the water skins from the Pool as evidence for the apostasy of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: The Rafidah raised a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari regarding the Pool, stating that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) will be turned back from the Pool except for a number like the stars of the sky. They claimed that the phrase “like the stars of the sky” indicates their small number and that they committed apostasy, as al-Bukhari narrated in the Book of Ruqyah. Is this argument valid? And what is your response to them?

Answer:
Those who committed apostasy are the Rafidah, not the Companions. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) remained firm upon Islam and died upon it, if Allah wills. A small number of the Companions committed apostasy; apostasy was more prevalent among others, and even more so among the Rafidah. As for the Companions, Allah honored them and kept them firm upon their religion, and no apostasy is known from them, except for a few individuals. Some of them repented to Allah and returned to Islam, such as Talhah al-Asadi, who repented to Allah, returned to Islam, fought in the cause of Allah, and was martyred.