What is our position/belief regarding the Companions?

Question: Our virtuous sheikh: What is our position/belief regarding the Companions - may Allah be pleased with them - and what is our position towards those who belittle them? Answer: The Aqeedah (belief) of the Muslims is to love, respect, and revere the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and take them as role models. That’s because they are the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and the best of this Ummah (Islamic nation). The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best of you are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them." So, they are the best of generations and the best of this Ummah. And Allah has praised them in His Book: {Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration.} [Surah Al-Fath: 29] This is the description of the companions. {Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajirun (Muslim emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (Muslims of Al-Madinah) who followed him (Muhammad ﷺ) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition, etc.).} [Surah At-Tawbah: 117] {And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah), the Ansar (the citizens of Al-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.} [Surah At-Tawbah: 100] {Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave their Bay’ah (pledge) to you (O Muhammad ﷺ) 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.} [Surah Al-Fath: 18] The Prophet ﷺ says: "Do not slander my companions; for by Him in whose Hand my soul is, if one of you contributed an amount of gold equivalent to [the mountain of] Uhud, it would not amount to as much as a Mudd (handful) of one of them, or half of it." And the one who slanders the companions is either a Kafir (disbeliever) in Allah, the Almighty, and he hates the companions because of his Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk, or he is a Munafiq (hypocrite) - we seek refuge in Allah - who claims to have Iman while he conceals his Kufr (disbelief). Therefore, no one slanders the companions except a Kafir (disbeliever) or a Munafiq (hypocrite). And the Munafiq is worse than the Kafir, because Allah the Most-High says: {Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.} [Surah An-Nisa: 145]