The Ruling on Speaking About the Defects of the Companions

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This question has been asked before, and this is one of them. He says: At the bottom, I have the author’s (may Allah have mercy on him) statement, after narrating the consensus in his saying: “So what about the one who displays disbelief out of fear or hope for this world,” along with the hadith of Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him). My brother, what happened with Hatib was this: Allah rebuked him for it, but He praised him for it.

Answer:
He called him a believer: “O you who believe, do not…” He called him a believer. So Hatib wrote to Hatib… you do not enter into this. Some people, in their ignorance, say that the pleasure is half disbelief. Hatib ibn Dhuq… the people of this… this is not permissible. Hatib ibn Balta’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a noble Companion who witnessed Badr, but this action occurred from him. Allah rebuked him, and the Messenger called him and asked him, so he explained to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) what had led him to this.
What led him was not arrogance or enmity toward the Messenger, nor… The Messenger believed him, and Allah pardoned him. So we do not enter into the issue of Hatib ibn Balta’ah. Yes.