690 - Muhammad ibn al-Husayn informed me that al-Fadl ibn Ziyad narrated to them, saying: I heard Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad ibn Hanbal], when asked about a man who disparaged Mu'awiyah and 'Amr ibn al-'As, whether one should call him a Rafidi (rejectionist). He replied: "He would not have dared to attack them unless he had some hidden evil within himself. No one has ever disparaged any of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) without harboring some inner evil." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The best of people are my generation."