Is it correct to say that the incident of Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah was an individual obligation?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner asks: Is it correct to say that the incident of Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah was an individual obligation?

Answer:
If we connect this to Allah, He will reward us for what is in it. These people have lashed out at Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah, attacking him, even though Allah turned to him in mercy, was pleased with him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) excused him. Why do they persist, forgetting their own sins and the state they are in, and continue to pursue a noble Companion? They pursue him, they pursue him over something in which Allah has forgiven him and pardoned him. No one should speak about the Companions or about any one of them. If one believes in Allah and the Last Day, he should not speak about the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or about any one of them.