The Ruling on Preferring Some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in Love

Question:
May Allah reward you with good. Sister Maryam says in her question: Does loving one of the Companions more than the others, while believing in the virtue of all of them, contradict the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community?

Answer:
Loving the Companions is part of faith, because they are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) who supported him, sheltered him, and fought alongside him. They bore the burden of the Shari'ah for him and conveyed it to us, and they fought in the cause of Allah, opening up the East and the West, and spreading Islam after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So loving them is religion, and hating them is hypocrisy. And they differ in virtue, without a doubt. Abu Bakr is the best of them and the most beloved, and so are the Caliphs, the remaining Caliphs, and so are the rest of the Ten Promised Paradise. So there is no doubt that their virtue varies, and their love varies accordingly. But they all share in the obligation of loving them for the sake of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and in Allah. Yes.