Chapter on the dislike of praising someone to his face when harm is feared for him from self-satisfaction or the like, and its permissibility for one in whose case that is not feared.
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The reader: He said -may Allah have mercy on him-: "Chapter on the dislike of praising someone to his face when harm is feared for him from self-satisfaction or the like, and its permissibility for one in whose case that is not feared:
From Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:Sahih al-Bukhari 2663 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
And from Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him):Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 333 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
And from Hammam ibn al-Harith from al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him):Riyad as-Salihin 1790 Narrated by Muslim.
These are the hadiths regarding prohibition, and there are many authentic hadiths regarding permissibility.
The scholars said: The way to reconcile the hadiths is to say: If the one being praised has perfect faith and certainty, self-discipline, and complete knowledge such that he is not tempted, not deluded by it, and his soul does not play with him, then it is not forbidden nor disliked. And if any of these things is feared for him, then praising him to his face is disliked with strong dislike. And upon this detail the different hadiths in this matter are applied.
And among what came regarding permissibility is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him):Sahih al-Bukhari 3216 meaning: among those who are called from all the gates of Paradise to enter it. And in another hadith: meaning: you are not among those who let their garments hang below the ankles in arrogance.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):Riyad as-Salihin 1790 And the hadiths regarding permissibility are many".
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
This chapter was mentioned by the author -may Allah have mercy on him- in his book *Riyad al-Salihin* to clarify the praise of a person: should a person praise his brother for what he is, or not? This has conditions:
The first condition: that there is good in praising him and encouragement for him toward noble qualities and excellent morals. This is permissible, because it is encouragement, encouragement for his companion. So if you see in a man generosity, bravery, self-sacrifice, and kindness to others, and you mention him for what he is in front of him in order to encourage him and strengthen him so that he continues in what he is doing, then this is good and it falls under the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2].
The second: that you praise him to make his excellence clear among the people, so that it spreads and people respect him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).
As for Abu Bakr, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke one day and said:. And also when he mentioned: .
And he said to 'Umar:Sahih al-Bukhari 6085: meaning if you take a path, then the devil flees from it and goes to another path. All of this is to clarify the excellence of Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). This is permissible.
The third: that he praises others and exaggerates in their praise and describes them with what they do not deserve. This is forbidden, and it is lying and deception. For example, mentioning a man who is an emir or a minister or the like, and lavishing praise upon him and describing him with noble qualities he does not have. This is forbidden for him, and it is also harm to the one being praised.
The fourth: that he praises him for what he is, but it is feared that the person being praised will be deluded by himself, become arrogant, and look down on others. This is also forbidden and not permissible. The author mentioned hadiths regarding this:Riyad as-Salihin 1789: meaning its meaning is: it is as if you slaughtered him because of your praise of him, because that necessitates that this one being praised becomes arrogant and haughty.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that dust be thrown in the faces of the flatterers: meaning if this person is known for sitting in a gathering in front of anyone who has status and honor but praising him. This is a flatterer, and the flatterer is not the praiser. The praiser is the one from whom praise is heard once after another, but the flatterer, whenever he sits with a great man, an emir, a judge, a scholar, or the like, stands up and praises him. His right is to have dust thrown in his face,. And in any case, what a person should do is not to speak except with good, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2500Sahih (Darussalam), and success is from Allah.
From Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (ﷺ) heard someone praising another and exaggerating in his praise. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You have ruined or cut the man's back
سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم رجلاً يثني على رجل ويطريه في المدح، فقال : أهلكتم، أو قطعتم ظهر الرجلAnd from Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
that a man was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and someone praised him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Woe to you! You have cut off the head of your companion!" and he repeated that several times. He went on, "If one of you must praise someone, he should say, 'I consider that so-and-so is such-and-such.' Allah is the One who will take account of him if he thinks that he is indeed like that, No one can appropriate Allah's right to attest to someone's character."
أن رجلاً ذكر عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فأثنى عليه رجل خيرا، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : ويحك قطعت عنق صاحبك قطعت عنق صاحبك ، يقوله مرارًا، إن كان أحدكم مادحًا لا محالة، فليقل: أحسبه كذا وكذا إن كان يرى أنه كذلك وحسيبه الله، ولا يزكي على الله أحدًاAnd from Hammam ibn al-Harith from al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him):
A person began to praise 'Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him), and Al-Miqdad (May Allah be pleased with him) sat upon his knees and began to throw pebbles upon the flatterer's face. 'Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "Verily, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'When you see those who shower undue praises upon others throw dust upon their faces
أن رجلا جعل يمدح عثمان رضي الله عنه، فعمد المقداد فجثا على ركبتيه، فجعل يحثو في وجهه الحصباء، فقال له عثمان : ما شأنك ؟ فقال : إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : إذا رأيتم المداحين فاحثوا في وجوههم الترابThese are the hadiths regarding prohibition, and there are many authentic hadiths regarding permissibility.
The scholars said: The way to reconcile the hadiths is to say: If the one being praised has perfect faith and certainty, self-discipline, and complete knowledge such that he is not tempted, not deluded by it, and his soul does not play with him, then it is not forbidden nor disliked. And if any of these things is feared for him, then praising him to his face is disliked with strong dislike. And upon this detail the different hadiths in this matter are applied.
And among what came regarding permissibility is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him):
I hope you will be among such person.
أرجو أن تكون منهمI am not one of them
لست منهمAnd he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
Hammam bin Al- Harith (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A person began to praise 'Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him), and Al-Miqdad (May Allah be pleased with him) sat upon his knees and began to throw pebbles upon the flatterer's face. 'Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "Verily, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'When you see those who shower undue praises upon others throw dust upon their faces."' [Muslim] .
ما رآك الشيطان سالكاً فجًا إلا سلك فجًا غير فجكThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
This chapter was mentioned by the author -may Allah have mercy on him- in his book *Riyad al-Salihin* to clarify the praise of a person: should a person praise his brother for what he is, or not? This has conditions:
The first condition: that there is good in praising him and encouragement for him toward noble qualities and excellent morals. This is permissible, because it is encouragement, encouragement for his companion. So if you see in a man generosity, bravery, self-sacrifice, and kindness to others, and you mention him for what he is in front of him in order to encourage him and strengthen him so that he continues in what he is doing, then this is good and it falls under the saying of Allah the Exalted:
cooperate in righteousness and piety
وتعاونوا على البر والتقوىThe second: that you praise him to make his excellence clear among the people, so that it spreads and people respect him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with Abu Bakr and 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).
As for Abu Bakr, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke one day and said:
Who among you has fasted today? Abu Bakr said: I. He said: Who among you followed a funeral? Abu Bakr said: I. He said: Who among you visited a sick person today? Abu Bakr said: I. He mentioned other things, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever these qualities are combined in, will enter Paradise
من أصبح منكم صائماً ؟ فقال أبو بكر: أنا، فقال: من تبع منكم جنازة؟ قال أبو بكر أنا، فقال من عاد اليوم مريضا؟ فقال أبو بكر أنا وذكر أشياء ، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما اجتمعن في امرأ إلا دخل الجنةThat whoever drags his garment out of arrogance, Allah will not look at him. Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of Allah, one side of my garment hangs down on me unless I hold it up. He said: You are not one of those who do that out of arrogance
أن من جر ثوبه خيلاء لن ينظر الله إليه، قال أبو بكر: يا رسول الله إن أحد شقي إزاري يسترخي علي إلا أن أتعاهده ، فقال: أنك لست ممن يصنع ذلك خيلاءAnd he said to 'Umar:
Narrated Sa`d: `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked permission of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to see him while some Quraishi women were sitting with him and they were asking him to give them more financial support while raising their voices over the voice of the Prophet. When `Umar asked permission to enter, all of them hurried to screen themselves the Prophet (ﷺ) admitted `Umar and he entered, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was smiling. `Umar said, "May Allah always keep you smiling, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you !" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I am astonished at these women who were with me. As soon as they heard your voice, they hastened to screen themselves." `Umar said, "You have more right, that they should be afraid of you, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" And then he (`Umar) turned towards them and said, "O enemies of your souls! You are afraid of me and not of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" The women replied, "Yes, for you are sterner and harsher than Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Ibn Al-Khattab! By Him in Whose Hands my life is, whenever Satan sees you taking a way, he follows a way other than yours!"
إن الشيطان ما سلكت فجا إلا سلك فجا غير فجكThe third: that he praises others and exaggerates in their praise and describes them with what they do not deserve. This is forbidden, and it is lying and deception. For example, mentioning a man who is an emir or a minister or the like, and lavishing praise upon him and describing him with noble qualities he does not have. This is forbidden for him, and it is also harm to the one being praised.
The fourth: that he praises him for what he is, but it is feared that the person being praised will be deluded by himself, become arrogant, and look down on others. This is also forbidden and not permissible. The author mentioned hadiths regarding this:
Mention of a man was made to the Prophet (ﷺ) and someone praised him whereupon he (ﷺ) said, "Woe be to you! You have broken the neck of your friend!"
أن رجلًا ذكر عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم آخر فأثنى عليه فقال: ويحك قطعت عنق صاحبكAnd the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded that dust be thrown in the faces of the flatterers: meaning if this person is known for sitting in a gathering in front of anyone who has status and honor but praising him. This is a flatterer, and the flatterer is not the praiser. The praiser is the one from whom praise is heard once after another, but the flatterer, whenever he sits with a great man, an emir, a judge, a scholar, or the like, stands up and praises him. His right is to have dust thrown in his face,