How to treat One Who maligns the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them

Question:

How should we treat a man who maligns the three Companions, may Allah be pleased with them?

Answer:

The Companions of the Messenger of Allah are the best of this community and Allah has praised them in His Book; He says:
And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Madinah) and the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who followed them exactly (in faith). Allah is Well pleased with them as they are well pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.

And He, the Most High says:
Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the Bai'ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad), under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts and He sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquility) upon them and He rewarded them with a near victory.

There are other such Verses in which Allah praises the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and promises them that they will enter Paradise. Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali are among the foremost of people and among those who made their pledge of allegiance under the tree. The Prophet pledged himself to 'Uthman, which was a testimony to him and an expression of his trust in 'Uthman, and it was stronger than the pledge of others to the Prophet In many Hadiths, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali are mentioned clearly with great detail as those who were given the good tidings of Paradise amongst others from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

He warned against maligning them, saying:
Do not defame my Companions, for were any of you to spend the equivalent of Mount Uhud in gold, he would not attain even a Mudd of them (i.e. their reward) nor even a half of it.

This was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri, may AlĨh be pleased with them. So whoever slanders the Companions of the Messenger of Allah or abuses them, especially these three: Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them, he has rejected the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger and contradicted them both by slandering them. Such person will be forbidden from receiving the forgiveness which Allah has promised those who follow them, who seek forgiveness for them, and who ask Allah that He place not in their hearts rancor towards the believers.

With regard to slandering these three and their like, he must be advised and apprised of their virtue and informed of their high rank and their truthfulness in Islam. If he repents, then he is one of our brothers in religion, but if he continues to slander them, he must be treated with the rejection which the Islamic law accords, as much as possible. Whoever is unable to do so by his tongue and his hand, should hate it in his heart and this is the weakest type of faith, as has been reported in the authentic Hadith.