and obeying him in what he conveyed and enjoined, before his call had spread, his message had prevailed, his helpers and supporters had grown numerous, and the proofs of his prophethood had become widely known—indeed, when believers were few and disbelievers and hypocrites were many—and in spending their wealth in Allah’s cause, seeking His Countenance under such circumstances, is something no one can attain the like of any longer. As reported from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the two authentic hadith collections:

“Do not revile my Companions. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, if one of you were to spend gold equal to Mount Uhud, it would not equal a mudd (a small measure) given by one of them, nor even half of it.”

Numerous authentic reports relate that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The best generation is my generation, those among whom I was sent, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.”

Thus, the first generation as a whole is better than the second, the second better than the third, and the third better than the fourth. Yet someone in the fourth generation may be better than some members of the third, and likewise someone in the third may be better than some members of the second.

Can someone who came after the Companions be better than some of the less distinguished Companions—not the most distinguished? This is disputed, and al-Qādī ‘Iyād and others have reported two views on it. Some frame the comparison in terms of figures such as Mu‘āwiyah and ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz: Mu‘āwiyah has the distinction of companionship and jihad alongside the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while ‘Umar has the distinction of his virtues of justice, asceticism, and fear of Allah Most High. A fuller discussion of this belongs elsewhere.

And “the point here” is that whoever opposes the Messenger must necessarily follow conjecture