_Imām Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*PRAISE.*
Amongst the calamities of the tongue, is that which has to do with praising others unnecessarily. And at times, one may praise the one that doesn’t deserve to be praised. Like saying: so so person is a pious person and a Zaīd, and one may eventually pass one’s limit in praising others thereby fabricating lies, and one may praise the person that suppose to be blamed.
In this regard, Al-Hasan said:
_من دعا لظالم بالبقاء، فقد أحب أن يعصى الله_
_Whosoever prayed for an oppressor for long life, Has indeed chosen to disobey Allāh._
As for the person that was praised, he may be affected by it thereby causing arrogance and pride, and both of these characters are destructive in themselves. For this reason, the prophet(ﷺ) said when He heard a person praising another person:
_ﺃَﺛْﻨَﻰ ﺭَﺟُﻞٌ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺭَﺟُﻞٍ ﻋِﻨْﺪَ ﺍﻟﻨَّﺒِﻲِّ ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻓَﻘَﺎﻝَ ” ﻭَﻳْﻠَﻚَ ﻗَﻄَﻌْﺖَ ﻋُﻨُﻖَ ﺃَﺧِﻴﻚَ ـ ﺛَﻼَﺛًﺎ ـ ﻣَﻦْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻣِﻨْﻜُﻢْ ﻣَﺎﺩِﺣًﺎ ﻻَ ﻣَﺤَﺎﻟَﺔَ ﻓَﻠْﻴَﻘُﻞْ ﺃَﺣْﺴِﺐُ ﻓُﻼَﻧًﺎ ـ ﻭَﺍﻟﻠَّﻪُ ﺣَﺴِﻴﺒُﻪُ ـ ﻭَﻻَ ﺃُﺯَﻛِّﻲ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ﺃَﺣَﺪًﺍ . ﺇِﻥْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻳَﻌْﻠَﻢُ._
_A man praised another man in front of the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said thrice, “Waylaka (Woe on you) ! You have cut the neck of your brother! If it is indispensable for anyone of you to praise a person, then he should say, “I think that such-and-such person (is so-and-so), and Allah is the one who will take his accounts and none can sanctify anybody before Allah (and that only if he knows well about that person.)”._
Transmitted by Imām Al-Bukhārī#6162.
However, if the praising doesn’t lead to the setbacks we mentioned, be it arrogance, pride etc, in that case, there is nothing wrong in it, for the prophet(ﷺ) once praised Abūbakr, ‘Umar radiyallāhu anhumah and others amongst the companions.
Moreover, the person that is been praised needs to be careful so that he may not be affected by it. Thus, he needs to guard himself from arrogance, pride and laxity in action, and no one will escape from these calamities except the one with deep understanding.
The person been praised should see himself as a weak person and that if the person praising him knows the weakness in him he won’t praise him thereof.
In this context, it was reported that a man amongst the pious predecessors was praised by some people, he then said:
_اللهم إن هؤلاء لا يعرفوني وأنت تعرفني_
_Oh Allāh! These people don’t really know me, but you know me the best._
*27th Jumādā Al-ūlā, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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