And he said: 'They are merely in the status of the stars; whichever of them you follow, you will be guided.' For the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade mentioning his companions [in a negative way] and that any one of them should be disparaged, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, knew what would occur after him among his companions. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was informed of that. Therefore, following the Messenger of Allah and refraining from speaking about his companions regarding what transpired between them, [as well as] invoking mercy upon them, is [the path]. We advance whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, advanced, and we are pleased with whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was pleased with during his life and after his death. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: 'That was a nation that has passed on; to them will be what they earned, and to you will be what you earn. And you will not be questioned about what they used to do' [Al-Baqarah: 134].
وَقَالَ: «إِنَّمَا هُمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ النُّجُومِ، بِمَنِ اقْتَدَيْتُمْ مِنْهُمُ اهْتَدَيْتُمْ» . فَالنَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَدْ نَهَى عَنْ ذِكْرِ أَصْحَابِهِ وَأَنْ يُنْتَقَصَ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَقَدْ عَلِمَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ. كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُنَبَّأُ بِذَلِكَ، فَالِاقْتِدَاءُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَالْكَفُّ عَنْ ذِكْرِ أَصْحَابِهِ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَالتَّرَحُّمُ عَلَيْهِمْ , وَنُقَدِّمُ مَنْ قَدَّمَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، نَرْضَى بِمَنْ رَضِيَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَيَاتِهِ وَبَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: {تِلْكَ أُمَّةٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَلَكُمْ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَلَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ} [البقرة: ١٣٤]
