What is permissible in praising people?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Benefits of the explanation of the book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* by Ibn Taymiyyah. I mentioned his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) What is the dividing line, if it is a limit, or the proportion, if it is a relative one, between us? We forbid it; one must not praise so-and-so and speak well of so-and-so. Is there a permissible, authorized praise, or is all praise forbidden? And if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) does not praise, what is the limit of that?
The Shaykh:
As for praising a person in his presence, this is not permissible?
The questioner:
Is this forbidden by the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh:
Because the praised person may become arrogant in his own mind, or it may embarrass him and put him in an awkward position. As for praising him with his attributes in his absence, there is nothing wrong with that, provided there is no exaggeration.
Benefits of the explanation of the book *Iqtida' al-Sirat al-Mustaqim li-Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahim* by Ibn Taymiyyah. I mentioned his saying (peace and blessings be upon him)
Do not praise me excessively, for I am only a servant.
لا تطروني وإنما أنا عبدThe Shaykh:
As for praising a person in his presence, this is not permissible?
The questioner:
Is this forbidden by the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh:
Because the praised person may become arrogant in his own mind, or it may embarrass him and put him in an awkward position. As for praising him with his attributes in his absence, there is nothing wrong with that, provided there is no exaggeration.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [1796] ما الذي يجوز من مدح الأشخاص؟ I الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.