Chapter: The Rights of the Prophet (alayhee salatul wasalaam) and His Companions
pgs.169-171

Stated Ibn Qudaamah:
From the sunnah is: Loyalty to the Sahaabah, love for them, mentioning their good qualities, and asking Allah to grant them mercy and to forgive them. And {also} refraining from mentioning their bad qualities and what they differed in, believing in their virtues and acknowledging their supeiority. Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاؤُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“And from those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in Faith. And put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed.’” {Surah Al-Hashr 59:10}

And Allah says:

“ Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are sever against the disbelievers, while being merciful among themselves.” {Surah Al-Fath 48:29}

Explaination by Imaam Uthaymeen:

The Rights of the Companions, may Allah be pleased w/them.

There is a great virtue that the Sahabaah possess over this ummah, because they rose to aid Allah and His Messenger (alayhee salatul wasalaam), waging in Jihaad in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives. And because they preserved the Religion of Allah by memorizing His Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (alayhee salatul wasalaam), learning it, implementing it and teaching it to the point that they conveyed it to the ummah in a pure and unadulterated manner.
Allah praises them in His glorious Book with the greatest of praises, such that He says in Surah Al-Fath:

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those who are with him are severe against the disbelievers, while being merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking Bounty from Allah and {His} Pleasure.”

The Messenger of Allah (alayhee salatul wasalaam) safeguarded the sanctity of their honor, such that: “Do not revile my Companions, for indeed if o­ne of you were to give in charity, the equivalent of mount Uhud in gold, it would not reach a mudd of o­ne of them, nor even half of it."***

***Saheeh Al-Bukhari: Book of Virtues of the Companions (No.#3673) and Saheeh Muslim: Book of Virtures of the Companions (No.# 2541) from Abu Saeed Al-Khudree {radiallahu anhu}.

Thus, their rights upon the Ummah are from the greatest of rights. What is required of this Ummah with respect to them is that they:

1.) Love them with the heart and praise them with the tongue for all they achieve from good and righteousness.

2.) Invoke Allah’s mercy for them and ask His forgiveness for them, acting upon the statement of Allah:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاؤُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“And from those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in Faith. And put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Lord, Indeed You are full of kindness, Most Merciful {Surah Al-Hashr 59:10}

3.) Refrain from mentioning their faults, which if any amongst them committed o­ne, then it is small in comparison to what they have from good qualities and virtues. Perhaps they committed these deeds based o­n some Ijthaad, which is forgivable or a deed that is excusable, due to his (alayhee salatul wasalaam): “Do not revile my Companions”

Stated by Imaam Ibn Qudaamah:

From the Sunnah is…

The Prophet (alayhee salatul wasalaam) said: “Do not revile my Companions, for indeed if o­ne of you were to give in charity, the equivalent of mount Uhud in gold, it would not reach a mudd of o­ne of them, nor even half of it”.

Explaination by Imaam Uthaymeen:

The Ruling o­n Reviling the Companions

The aspect of reviling the Sahaabah {Companions} can be divided into three {3} categories:

The First: That o­ne reviles them by that which ends up with declaring disbelief upon most of them or declaring some of them were evildoers. This amounts to disbelief since it is a denial of Allah and His Messenger (alayhee salatul wasalaam) in their praise for them and their contentment with them. In fact whoever should harbor any doubt concerning if such and such person {i.e., Companion} is a disbeliever or not, then his own disbelief is definite, for this view warrants that those who transmitted the Qur’aan and the Sunnah were either disbelievers or evildoers.

The Second: That o­ne reviles them by cursing or speaking badly about them. There are two opinions of the scholars concerning this individual’s disbelief. According to the opinion that he did not commit disbelief, he must be lashed and imprisoned until he either dies or repents from what he said.

The Third: That o­ne reviles them with that which does not violate their Religion, such as cowardice and stinginess. Thus, he does not disbelieve, but he should be rebuked with that (punishment) which will prevent him from doing that (again). Shaykh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah (rahimallah) mentioned this understanding in his book

As-Saarim-Ul-Maslool (pg. 573) and he reported that Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) said:
“It is not permissible for anyone to mention any of their shortcomings, nor to disparage any of them due to a defect or flaw they may have. So whoever does that then he must be reprimanded. If he repents, (then he may be let go) and if not then he is to be lashed in prison until he either dies or repents.”