Is it obligatory to follow the Rightly Guided Caliphs, or the Companions, or the first three generations?

Allah Almighty praised those who followed the Companions with excellence and promised them Paradise. What is meant by this is those who followed their way in obeying Allah and His Messenger, and prioritizing their obedience over the obedience of anyone else. The verse includes the first three generations (the Companions, the Tabi'in, and their followers) except for those known for innovation and misguidance. Scholars differed on the authority of a Companion's saying. Some believe it is authoritative (like the view of Malik and Ahmad), while others do not (like the new view of Shafi'i). Some consider it authoritative only for the Rightly Guided Caliphs, or specifically for Abu Bakr and Umar, citing Prophetic traditions. It is most likely that the saying of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, especially Abu Bakr and Umar, is the most deserving of being followed.