“When the Companions came across an issue for which they didn’t know the ruling, they would ask Abu Bakr [about it] when they met him, they would ask Umar, they would ask Ibn Mas’ood and so on. There wasn’t anyone among them who would say, ‘I’m a Bakri,’ i.e., I don’t believe in anything except Abu Bakr’s knowledge, or, ‘I’m an Umari! I don’t believe in anything except Umar’s knowledge!’

Rather, they would ask whoever amongst them was from the people of the message [Ahlul-dhikr]—and this is how it is fitting that the course of action should be, for all good is in following the Salaf and all evil is in the innovations of those who came later [the khalaf].

When the affair became one of partisanship [hizbiyyah] to a school of thought, each person became partisan to an Imaam and fanatical towards him.”

Silsilatul-Hudaa wan-Noor, 1/219.