Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

their innocence, unless the commission of an impugning sin is established.
And that is not established by the grace of Allah. Hence the condition upon
which they were in the time of Nabī H is what we deem to be their
primary status until otherwise is established. As for what is recorded by
the historians, we do not pay attention to it due to it being unauthentic.
And whatever is authentic has a plausible explanation. 1
Ibn Taymiyah mentions:
وهم ‏)يعنى أهل السنة(‏ مع ذلك ل يعتقدون أن كل واحد من الصحابة معصوم عن كبائر اإلثم وصغائره،‏
بل يجوز عليهم من الذنوب في الجملة،‏ ولهم من السوابق والفضائل ما يوجب مغفرة ما يصدر منهم إن
صدر،‏ حتى إنه يغفر لهم من السئات ما ل يغفر لمن بعدهم
Despite that, they (the Ahl al-Sunnah) do not believe that each one of the
Ṣaḥābah M was free from major and minor sins. Rather it was possible
for them to commit sins in general. However the contributions that they
have made and the merits that they enjoy will earn them forgiveness for
what came forth from them. To the extent that they will be forgiven for
actions which others after them will not be forgiven for. 2
Their Rights
One of the principles of the Ahl al-Sunnah is that the Ṣaḥābah enjoy rights which
others besides them do not. Hence it is compulsory upon the believers to love
them, acknowledge their sacrifices, concede their merit, entertain good thoughts
about them, find plausible explanations for them and seek forgiveness on their
behalf.
1 Fatḥ al-Mughīth 3/115; Irshād al-Fuḥūl p. 129.
2 Majmūʿ Fatāwā Shaykh al-Islām 3/155.
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