The Muslim people of the time of the Prophet Muhammad SAW can be placed into 3 categories according to the Quran.
Before we move on to what the Quran actually says, lets see what certain groups of that time say.
The khawarij say that all the companions became hypocrites and rebelled against the religion. They attacked the Imams of the ahl Bayt, and the Leaders of the Ummayids.
The Ummayids , later renamed, Ahl Sunnah, held the view that all the companions were all good Muslims and non should be criticised.
The shia say that some companions stayed true to Islam, and some did not, so essentially a middle ground between the Ummayids and the Khawarij.
The Good, the Bad and the Hypocrites
The good :
The Hypocrites:
9|101|Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of Medina too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment.
The Rest :
9|102|Others have confessed their sins, having mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Perhaps God will redeem them. God is Forgiving and Merciful.