Hadrat Imam-i Rabbani, the reviver of the second millennium, states:

"It is the greatest blessing of Allahu ta’ala for a person to love
the Sahabah [the companions of our Master the Prophet], to be attached to them, and to yearn for a lifestyle imitative of theirs because they are the most valuable and select group strained out of the entire humankind. As is stated, “A person will be with the people he loves,” in a hadith-i sharif, those who love them will be with them and will be very close to the positions they occupy in Paradise" (The book Eshab-ı Kiram).

Hadrat Ibn Hajar al-Makki states:

"O you Muslim, whose heart is full with the love of Allahu ta’ala and with the love of the Messenger of Allah [sall-Allahu ’alaihi wa sallam]! Your first duty is to combine the love of our Prophet’s companions with the love of his Ahl al-Bait in your heart. As we love the Ahl al-Bait because they are Allah's Messenger's descendants, so we must love the others because they are his companions, for the honor that the Sahabah attained is very high. Others cannot attain that honor. One of the merits of them is that the blessed looks of the Messenger of Allah penetrated into them, giving them spiritual support and help. Others do not have this exclusive merit. None of the later comers attained their perfections and vast learnings or the [spiritual property called] haqiqat that they inherited from our Master the Prophet. Every Muslim has to know them all as just, pious and learned Muslims and as walis and mujtahids. Allahu ta’ala gave them the good news that He would forgive them for any possible mistake on their part. The Qur'an al-karim says [what means]: “Allah is pleased with them all. Also, they are pleased with Him.” To blame or vilify any one of the Sahabah means to deny this verse" (As-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah).

For this reason, when we are talking about these blessed people, we should not mention their names as if we are talking about ordinary people. We should always display good manners toward them and mention the name of any one of them with respect. Say "radi-Allahu 'anh (which means "May Allah be pleased with him!")" if the name of only one Sahabi (singular form of the Sahabah) has been mentioned. Say "radi-Allahu anhuma (which means "May Allah be pleased with these two!") if the names of two Sahabah have been mentioned. Say "ridwanullahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajma'in (which means "May Allah be pleased with them all!")" or "radi-Allahu anhum" if the names of several Sahabah or all Sahabah have been mentioned.

After prophets, the Sahabah (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum) are the best of all humans. The Qur'an says (what means) about their superiority:

(Muhammad ['alaihis-salam] is the prophet of Allah. All of those who are with him [the Sahabah] are stern against disbelievers but merciful to one another. You see them bow for ruku' and perform sajda. They seek grace and pleasure from Allah. Their signs are the traces of prostration that are on their faces. This is their description in the Torah. Their description in the Injil is that they are like a sown seed that puts forth its sprout and then strengthens it. Then it becomes thick and stands firm on its own stem, which delights the sowers as well. Thus, Allah enrages the disbelievers by increasing and strengthening them. For those who believe and do good deeds, Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward.) [Al-Fath 29]

(Allah is pleased with the ones who take the lead among the Muhajirin [the companions who emigrated from Mecca] and the Ansar [the ones who helped the immigrants in Medina], as well as those who follow them. They are pleased with Allah, too.) [At-Tawbah 100]

(Those of the Believers who sit are not equal to those who perform jihad in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives. Allah has exalted in rank those who perform jihad in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives above those who sit, yet Allah has promised the best one [Paradise] to all of them; however, He has exalted by a great reward those who perform jihad above those who sit.) [An-Nisa' 95]

(Allah has promised the best one [Paradise] to them all [the Sahabah].) [Al-Hadid 10]

(A people [the Sahabah] who believe in Allah and the Day of Judgment do not befriend those who are hostile to Allah and His Messenger, even though they may be their fathers, sons, brothers, or relatives. Allah inscribed faith in their [the Sahabah's] hearts, and He supported them with a spirit from Him. He will admit them to paradises through which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.) [Al-Mujadalah 22]

(You [the companions of the Messenger of Allah] are the best community brought forth for the benefit of humanity. You enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.) [Al-i Imran 110]

(O My Messenger, Allah is sufficient for you, and He supports you with Believers [with your companions].) [Al-Anfal 62]

Ibn Hajar al-Makki states:
"In Surat al-A'raf and in Surat al-Hijr, the Qur'an says [what means], 'We have removed ghil and ghish from their hearts.' It means,
'We have uprooted such vices as grudge and enmity from their hearts and thrown them away.' That means to say that no Sahabi could possibly have harbored any jealousy or any grudge against any other Sahabi. All of them had attained [the spiritual grade called] haqq-ul-yaqin. The wars and struggles among them were based on difference in their ijtihads. Since every one of them had to act upon his own ijtihad, none of them can be blamed. Speaking ill of any one of the Sahabah means not believing the Qur'anic verse that means 'Allah is pleased with them'" (Tathir-ul-Janan).

The attributes of Allahu ta'ala are eternal in the past and eternal in the future, so His being pleased with the Sahabah is eternal, too. He does not go back on His word; He is always pleased with them. The Qur'an al-karim says (what means):

(Allah never breaks His promise.) [Al-i 'Imran 9; Az-Zumar 20; Ar-Ra'd 31]

(Allah does not go back on His promise.) [Ar-Rum 6]

Hadrat Imam-i Rabbani states:
"In fact, all the Sahabah are superior to all other Muslims who came after them because no superiority can equal the superiority attained in the suhbah [companionship] of the Best of Humankind. In that age when Islam was so weak and Muslims were so few, a minimal effort made by the Sahabah to strengthen Islam and to help the Master of Prophets was given so much thawab that others cannot get that much thawab even if they spend all their lives with austere riyadhat [not doing the desire of the nafs] and heavy mujahadhat [doing the things that the nafs dislikes] and by worshipping all the time" (Vol. 2, Letter 99).

It is stated in hadith-i sharifs:

(There is a basis for everything. The basis of Islam is to love my companions and my Ahl al-Bait.) [Ibn Najjar]

(Do not abuse any one of my companions. Do not say a single word that is against their glory. By Allah, if anyone were to give gold equal to Mount Uhud in charity, he would not earn thawab as much as the thawab for a handful of barley given by any one of my companions in charity.) [Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Baghawi]

(Fear Allah and do not use bad language against my companions. Do not make them the target of your evil intentions after me. Whoever loves them loves them on account of his love for me. Whoever does not love me does not love them, either. Whoever offends them has offended me, and whoever offends me has offended Allahu ta'ala. The punishment for this is imposed without delay.) [Bukhari]

(Allahu ta’ala chose me from among the Qouraish tribe, the noblest people, and selected the best people as companions for me. He chose a few of them as my viziers and my assistants in communicating Islam to people. And He singled out some of them as my as-har [i.e. my relatives through marriage]. Those who swear at them or slander them, upon them is the curse of Allah, of all angels, and of all human beings. On the Rising Day, Allahu ta’ala will reject their fard and sunnat acts of worship.) [Hakim]

(None loves the Ansar except a Believer. None hates them except a hypocrite. Whoever loves the Ansar, Allah loves him. Whoever hates them, Allah hates him, too.) [Bukhari]

(My companions are far superior to all genies and human beings.) [Bazzar]

(A Muslim [my companions] who has seen me will not enter Hell.) [Tabarani]

(No one can serve Islam as my companions did.) [Imam-i Suyuti]

(Some will malign my companions. Such people will depart from Islam.) [Bayhaqi]

(May Allah curse him who maligns my companions!) [Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Hakim]

(Do not mention the faults of my companions because your hearts change against them then. Speak of my companions with good words, so that your hearts will have an affinity for them.) [Daylami]

(The best of people are the Muslims [the Sahabah] who live in my time, then those who come after them [Tabi'in], and then those who come after them [Taba-i Tabi'in]. After these generations, lies will spread. Do not believe their [those who do not follow the Sahabah] words and deeds.) [Bukhari]

(He who loves my companions, my wives, and my Ahl al-Bait and who does not speak against them will be with me in Paradise.) [Ramuz]

(On the Day of Resurrection, there will be hope of salvation for everybody except those who malign my companions.) [Hakim]

(Fitnah will arise among my companions. Allahu ta'ala will forgive them on account of the suhbah they have had with me. Those who will come after them will go to Hell because of maligning my companions involved in that fitnah.) [Muslim]