Was Al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt a just Companion, and was he a transgressor (fasiq), knowing that the verse: "O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one (fasiq) with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance" (49:6) was revealed concerning him?

The definition of a Companion (Sahabi) is one who met the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, believing in him, and died upon Islam. All the Companions are considered trustworthy (udul) by the consensus of the Ummah, due to Allah and His Messenger having declared them so. Their trustworthiness does not imply infallibility from sins, but rather it means complete confidence in their statements and reports, and that they would not intentionally lie about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The hypocrites are not counted among the Companions; they were a known minority, and none of them narrated any hadith (definition) from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. As for Al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah, he is a Companion by agreement of the scholars. The verse that was revealed concerning him and described him as a fasiq (transgressor) is not authentically established; and even if it were, he repented, and his repentance was good. He narrated only one hadith from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and its chain of narration is weak. Trustworthiness entails not intentionally lying about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and this is a characteristic that all the Companions possessed.