The Prohibition Of Praising if It Involves Exaggeration And There Is The Fear That It May Be A Source Of Temptation (Fitnah) For The One Who Is Praised

'Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority of his father that a person praised another person in the presence of Allah's Apostle ﷺ, whereupon he said: Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, you have broken the neck of your friend-he said this twice. If one of you has to praise his friend at all, he should say: I think (him to be) so and Allah knows it well and I do not know the secret of the heart and Allah knows the destined end, and I cannot testify his purity against Allah but (he appears) to be so and so.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلاً عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ - قَالَ - فَقَالَ " وَيْحَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ " . مِرَارًا " إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا صَاحِبَهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلاَنًا وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا أَحْسِبُهُ إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَاكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا " .

Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority of his father that a person was mentioned in the presence of Allah's Apostle ﷺ, and a person said: Allah's Messenger, no person is more excellent than he after Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Thereupon Allah's Apostle ﷺ said: Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, and he said this twice. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: If anyone has to praise his brother at all, he should say: I think him to be so and so, and even on this he should say: I do not consider anyone purer than Allah (considers). This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba with a slight variation of wording.

وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبَّادِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ بْنِ أَبِي رَوَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، قَالَ شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ، الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ " وَيْحَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ " . مِرَارًا يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلاَنًا إِنْ كَانَ يُرَى أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا " .

Abu Musa reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a person lauding another person or praising him too much. Thereupon he said: You killed him, or you sliced the back of a person.

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ، عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَجُلاً يُثْنِي عَلَى رَجُلٍ وَيُطْرِيهِ فِي الْمِدْحَةِ فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ أَهْلَكْتُمْ أَوْ قَطَعْتُمْ ظَهْرَ الرَّجُلِ " .

Abu Ma'mar reported that a person lauded a ruler amongst the rulers and Miqdad began to throw dust upon him and he said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us that we should throw dust upon the faces of those who shower too much praise.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ قَامَ رَجُلٌ يُثْنِي عَلَى أَمِيرٍ مِنَ الأُمَرَاءِ فَجَعَلَ الْمِقْدَادُ يَحْثِي عَلَيْهِ التُّرَابَ وَقَالَ أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ نَحْثِيَ فِي وُجُوهِ الْمَدَّاحِينَ التُّرَابَ .

Hammam b. al-Harith reported that a person began to praise 'Uthman and Miqdad sat upon his knee;
and he was a bulky person and began to throw pebbles upon his (flatterer's) face. Thereupon 'Uthman said: What is the matter with you? And he said: Verily, Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When you see those who shower (undue) praise (upon others), throw dust upon their faces.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، جَعَلَ يَمْدَحُ عُثْمَانَ فَعَمِدَ الْمِقْدَادُ فَجَثَا عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ - وَكَانَ رَجُلاً ضَخْمًا - فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو فِي وَجْهِهِ الْحَصْبَاءَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ مَا شَأْنُكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ " إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الْمَدَّاحِينَ فَاحْثُوا فِي وُجُوهِهِمُ التُّرَابَ " .