We hold that it is obligatory for us to refrain from speaking ill of them, so that we do not mention them except with the praise they deserve, and that we purify our hearts from resentment and hatred toward any of them.

The Shaykh :"We hold that it is obligatory for us to refrain from speaking ill of them", as an obligation. "So that we do not mention them except with the praise they deserve".
As for spreading their faults among people and saying, "So-and-so did such and such, and so-and-so did such and such," there is no doubt that it is forbidden, because if this is forbidden regarding others, how much more so is it forbidden regarding them.
Criticizing the Companions is not a trivial matter. In reality, criticizing the Companions entails criticizing the Shari'ah, criticizing the Messenger, and criticizing the side of Allah (Mighty and Majestic); it is not merely a criticism of them.
Criticizing them is, in truth, a criticism in four directions:
First: the criticism of them, which is clear.
Second: it is a criticism of the Shari'ah, because they are the intermediaries between us and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). They are the ones who transmitted the Shari'ah to us. So if we criticize them, the Shari'ah becomes doubtful in its authenticity and its attribution to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
Third: it is a criticism of the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him), because if his Companions are characterized by open sinfulness and lewdness, that is a defect in his status. If the custom among people today is that a noble man whose companions and those around him are criticized for open sinfulness and lewdness and other things, there is no doubt that this is a defect in him, even if he is not like them in lewdness and open sinfulness. But a noble person should accompany noble people. As for accompanying people who are characterized by open sinfulness and lewdness, there is no doubt that this is a defect in him, even if he is not of their character in lewdness and the like.
The fourth direction: the side of the Lord (Mighty and Majestic), for it is a criticism of His wisdom in preparing for this noble Messenger, who is the best of creation in the sight of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), people who are what? Lewd, disbelievers, open sinners, as the Rafidah say about the Companions of the Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him), except for a few and those who were from the Family of the Prophet.
And if that is the case, it is obligatory for us to refrain from speaking ill of them and not to display their faults to people. Even if we assume that a person is reading *Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya* and comes to the Battle of the Camel or Siffin or other events that tarnish the honor of the Companions in the eyes of the common people who do not understand, what is obligatory? It is obligatory not to read it. It is obligatory not to read it. But if we want to read it to students of knowledge to sift through what is in it, because falsehood and lies have entered it, then there is no harm, and it may even be obligatory. But regarding the common people, do not read such things to them. Likewise, it is obligatory that we purify our hearts from resentment and hatred toward any of them. Even if we see that he made a mistake, it is not permissible for us to harbor hatred or resentment toward them. Rather, we say, "May Allah forgive him." And as for those who turned back on the day of Uhud, Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said about them: , even though He (Mighty and Majestic) said: . So He (Mighty and Majestic) made it clear that among them were those who fought for the world, and yet He said: . So how can we not forgive what happened from them? This means that we should not harbor hatred or resentment toward any of them, even if we see that it was a mistake and that the opposite of it is the correct and the right one.
"Based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:

Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it]. Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterwards and fought. But to all Allah has promised the best [reward]

لا يستوي منكم من أنفق من قبل الفتح وقاتل أولئك أعظم درجة من الذين أنفقوا من بعد وقاتلوا وكلا وعد الله الحسنى

[Al-Hadid 57:10]

".
The "opening" referred to here is the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, not the Conquest of Makkah. The evidence that it is the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is what happened between 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf and Khalid ibn al-Walid, where the Prophet (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) said to Khalid: . 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf was from the first of the emigrants, unlike Khalid ibn al-Walid, who embraced Islam after that. Good.
After, or after? Why is it with a dammah, and "min" is a preposition? We say: it is here built (uninflected) and not inflected. Good.
He says: Glory be to Allah! When the Noble Qur'an mentioned the virtue of those who spent before the opening and fought, the heart may tend to belittle the rights of those who were preferred over them, so He said: , even though they differed in virtue.
And this is the method of the Qur'an: when He (the Exalted) mentions one who is preferred and one who is preferred over, He mentions the general virtue for all of them. Allah the Exalted said: . The mind may tend to belittle the right of Dawud, so He (Mighty and Majestic) said, to prevent this: . He mentioned a specific virtue for him in contrast to His saying: . Good.
And He (the Exalted) said—yes—: . Is "al-Hasanah" a description of a specific described thing, or is the intended meaning the good promise? Yes? If we say that "al-Hasanah" is Paradise and that it is a description specific to it, we say: the meaning is "And both were promised by Allah Paradise," as He (the Exalted) said: . And if we say that it is a description of the best thing, then we do not see that anything is better than Paradise.
"And the saying of Allah about us:

And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful."

والذين جاءوا من بعدهم يقولون ربنا اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذين سبقونا بالإيمان ولا تجعل في قلوبنا غلا للذين ءامنوا ربنا إنك رؤوف رحيم

[Al-Hashr 59:10]

." The asking for forgiveness

forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed

اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذي سبقونا بالإيمان ولا تجعل في قلوبنا غلا للذين آمنوا

[Al-Hashr 59:10]

is not for those who preceded us nor for those who were in our time. So the asking for forgiveness, they said, is for us and for our brothers who preceded us in faith. And regarding resentment, He said:

put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed

لا تجعل في قلوبنا غلا للذين آمنوا

[Al-Hashr 59:10]

, and He did not say: "for those who preceded us in faith," because they asked that there be no resentment in their hearts, neither for those who preceded them nor—O Salih—nor for those who came after them. Good.
This verse is connected to two previous verses, where Allah the Exalted mentioned the fay' (war spoils)

⁽⁸⁾ For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] approval and supporting Allah and His Messenger, [there is also a share]. Those are the truthful. ⁽⁹⁾ And [also for] those who were settled in al-Madinah and [adopted] the faith before them. They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what the emigrants were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul - it is those who will be the successful. ⁽¹⁰⁾ And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith

للمهاجرين الذين أخرجوا من ديارهم وأموالهم يبتغون فضلا من الله ورضوانا وينصرون الله ورسوله أولئك الصادقون * والذين تبوؤوا الدار والإيمان من قبلهم يحبون من هاجر إليهم ولا يجدون في صدورهم حرجا مما أوتوا ويؤثرون على أنفسهم ولو كان بهم خصاصة ومن يوق شح نفسه فأولئك هم المفلحون * والذين جاؤوا من بعدهم يقولون ربنا اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذين سبقونا بالإيمان

[Al-Hashr 59:8-10]

". And Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Rafidah have no right to the fay'". Why? Because their tongues cannot utter this statement. They cannot say . Rather, they curse them and pronounce them accursed, and their hearts are filled with resentment and hatred toward those who preceded them in faith. For this reason, Malik said: "They have no share in the fay'". Good.
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