How does Imam Al-Bukhari narrate in his Sahih from Imran ibn Hittan and others who reviled the Companions, even though reviling the Companions is forbidden?

Firstly: A Muslim must avoid gatherings of people of desires and innovations, because they may instill doubt and lead one astray from the religion. The predecessors warned against this, such as Abu Qilabah, who feared they might lead the listener astray, and Fudayl ibn Iyad, who warned against the descent of a curse, and Muhammad ibn al-Nadr, who said that whoever listens attentively to an innovator while knowing it, protection will be removed from him and he will be left to himself.

Secondly: Al-Bukhari defended his narration of the hadith of Imran ibn Hittan al-Khariji, and mentioned that Al-Bukhari narrated from him for several reasons: 1. It is possible that Al-Bukhari narrated from him after his repentance from the innovation of Kharijism, as some historians mentioned. 2. Al-Bukhari narrated two hadiths from Imran because he was certain of his truthfulness, and he narrates from innovators if they are truthful, because the Khawarij do not lie about the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. 3. Al-Bukhari's narration from Imran was for a scholarly purpose, which was to prove Imran's hearing from Aisha, and this is what Al-Bukhari himself emphasized. 4. Some scholars excused it by saying that Al-Bukhari narrated from Imran in follow-up narrations (mutaba'at) and not in primary narrations (usul), and this does not harm, because the hadith has other chains of transmission.

Thirdly: Al-Bukhari emphasized the virtues of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Household of the Prophet, which refutes the accusation of him hating them. He narrated hadiths about the virtues of Ali and Fatima, and mentioned that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq preferred the kinship of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, over his own kinship.

Fourthly: Al-Bukhari did not narrate from anyone who reviles Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and he did not narrate anything from the Rafidah.