Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Hādī al-Madkhalī:

The principle for this is: “Whoever wishes to follow a good example, then he should follow the example of those who have passed, because the one who is alive is not safe from trials”. Indeed the act of following, after following the Messenger ﷺ, should only be for those who died upon the correct path.

۞أُولَـٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۖ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ ۗ قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ۖ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَالَمِينَ

“They are those whom Allāh had guided. So follow their guidance” (Q 6:90)

As for the living, then you love a person and praise them for that which is in them, but you don’t give them the complete tazkīyah (praise), because one knows not what will be his ending. You’ve seen how many (have deviated); al-Maghrāwī where did he end up? Abūl-Ḥasan (al-Maʿribī) where did he end up? ʿAlī Ḥasan al-Halabī where did he end up? Most recently he has ended up with the democrats! And now al-Hajūrī where did he end up? He ended up with them – they are his visitors: Abūl-Ḥasan (al-Maʿribī) and ʿAlī Ḥasan (al-Ḥalabī) and their likes. So the one who is alive – O my beloved ones – is not safe from trials.