Is the love of the Rightly Guided Caliphs obligatory, more so than for one's children and family, similar to the love for the Messenger (peace be upon him)?

Loving the Companions is a great religious obligation, supported by legal evidence, including that "The Ansar are not loved except by a believer, and not hated except by a hypocrite," and that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No one loves me except a believer, and no one hates me except a hypocrite." Al-Hasan al-Basri was asked: Is loving Abu Bakr and Umar a Sunnah? He replied: "No, it is an obligation." Al-Tahawi conveyed the obligation of loving the Companions and not being negligent in loving any of them, stating that "loving them is religion, faith, and excellence, and hating them is disbelief, hypocrisy, and tyranny."

Al-Qadir Billah held that it is obligatory to love all the Companions, and that they are the best of creation after the Messenger of Allah. Abu al-Arab al-Siqilli considered anyone who does not love the Companions to be untrustworthy. The obligatory love is explained as love for their companionship and their support of the Prophet (peace be upon him), based on his saying (peace be upon him): "Fear Allah, fear Allah concerning my Companions! Do not take them as targets after me. Whoever loves them, it is because of his love for me that he loves them, and whoever hates them, it is because of his hatred for me that he hates them." So, if someone hates them because of their companionship, it is disbelief and hypocrisy; but if he hates them for worldly reasons, it is immorality and disobedience.

Therefore, the Salaf used to teach their children to love Abu Bakr and Umar just as they taught them a surah from the Quran. Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani mentioned that loving Abu Bakr al-Siddiq establishes the religion, loving Umar clarifies the path, loving Uthman enlightens the religion, loving Ali is holding fast to the most trustworthy handhold, and speaking well of the Companions is a declaration of freedom from hypocrisy.

Loving the Companions means prioritizing them over oneself, one's family, and all people, because of what they offered to the religion and their great status. However, if these feelings do not arise in someone due to lack of knowledge or weakness of conviction, then he should be guided with advice, teaching, and reminder, without incurring sin.