The opinion of Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani about this matter has been clearly explained in the topic “Necessity of respecting the companions of the Prophet” from the invaluable book Return to Islam based on certain and shared sources among Muslims. According to this opinion and some of his lessons, it is not permissible to insult any of the Sahabah. Whoever insults them is a wrongdoer, and if he persists in insulting them, he is a sinner, and if he declares it publicly, in a way that incites animosity and hatred among Muslims, it is not unlikely that he will be one of those who spread corruption on the earth, and the punishment of those who spread corruption on the earth is clear if they are referred to the Imam.

Furthermore, just as it is not permissible to insult any of the Sahabah, it is not permissible to curse any of the Muhajirin and the Ansar who believed before the conquest of Mecca either, even if they were from those who went wrong after the Prophet concerning the Caliphate, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, or concerning the rising against Ali ibn Abi Talib, such as Talha, Zubayr, and Aisha; because Allah Almighty has commanded later Muslims to seek forgiveness for them in view of their services to the Prophet and their role in Islam prevailing over disbelief, where He has said after praising them: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[1]; “Those who came after them say: ‘O Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any grudge against those who believed! O Lord! You are indeed the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.’” It is clear that this statement of Allah Almighty is general and cannot be specified with weak and few narrations attributed by Shias to the Ahl al-Bayt; because it is not permissible to specify the Quran with narrations[2]. This is the reason why Aisha said: «أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَسَتَغْفِرُوا لَهُمْ فَسَبُّوهُمْ»[3]; “They were commanded to seek forgiveness for them, but they insulted them,” referring to the Muhajirin and the Ansar, and ibn Abbas said: «لَا تَسُبُّوا أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ أَمَرَ بِالْإِسْتِغْفَارِ لَهُمْ، وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ سَيَقْتَتِلُونَ وَيُحْدِثُونَ»[4]; “Do not insult the companions of Muhammad, for Allah the Exalted, the Majestic has commanded seeking forgiveness for them, knowing that they would engage in conflicts and cause innovations.” Also, there are narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt that are in line with the Quran, and they are the authentic and reliable ones; as, for example, it has been narrated: «أَنَّ قَوْمًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ قَدِمُوا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَجَلَسُوا إِلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، فَذَكَرُوا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ فَمَسُّوا مِنْهُمَا، ثُمَّ ابْتَرَكُوا فِي عُثْمَانَ ابْتِرَاكًا، فَقَالَ لَهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ: أَخْبِرُونِي أَنْتُمْ مِنَ ﴿الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا وَيَنْصُرُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ﴾[5]؟ قَالُوا: لَسْنَا مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ: فَأَنْتُمْ مِنَ ﴿الَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ﴾[6]؟ قَالُوا: لَسْنَا مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ: أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فَقَدْ تَبَرَّأْتُمْ مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ أَنْ تَكُونُوا مِنْهُمْ وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكُمْ لَسْتُمْ مِنَ الْفِرْقَةِ الثَّالِثَةِ ﴿الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾[7]، ثُمَّ قَالَ: قُومُوا عَنِّي لَا قَرَّبَ اللَّهُ دُورَكُمْ!»[8]; “A group of people from Iraq came to Medina. They sat with Ali ibn al-Husain. Then they mentioned Abu Bakr and Umar and spoke ill of them and then rebuked Uthman. So Ali ibn al-Husain said to them: ‘Tell me, are you from the Muhajirin who “were driven out of their homes and their possessions and seek Allah’s grace and pleasure and support Allah and His Prophet, and they are indeed the truthful”?!’ They said: ‘We are not from them.’ He said: ‘Then are you from those who “before them prepared the house and faith and love those who migrated toward them and do not find any need in their hearts for what they were given, even if they themselves are in poverty”?!’ They said: ‘We are not from them.’ He said: ‘So you denied being from these two groups, and I bear witness that you are not from the third group either; “those who came after them say: O Lord! Forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any grudge against those who believed! O Lord! You are indeed the Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”’ Then he said: ‘Get up and leave, may Allah not bring close your homes!’”

May Allah grant all Muslims around the world success in returning to the pure and perfect Islam, adhering to its rulings and morals, and avoiding the incitement of discord and conflicts among themselves, even though most of them do not desire goodness.