Is it necessary to exceed one's capacity to attain the virtue of the elite Companions, or is exhausting one's capacity sufficient to achieve this goodness, and is this possible for those who came after the Companions?

A believer must have high aspirations, following the prophets and the Companions. The correct measure of guidance is for one's faith to be like the faith of the Companions, as Allah Almighty said: "Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance," and "So if they believe in the like of what you have believed in, then they have been [rightly] guided." However, a servant will never reach the rank of the special Companions, no matter what he does. For whoever embraced Islam after the Conquest is not equal to whoever spent and fought before it, as Allah Almighty said: "Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought. Those are greater in degree than those who spent afterwards and fought." And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Do not insult any of my Companions, for if one of you were to spend the like of Uhud in gold, he would not reach the mudd (a measure) of one of them, nor half of it." Therefore, be keen to follow and love them.