1/1788ــ عَنْ أَبي مُوسَىٰ الأشْعَرِيّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: سَمعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلاً يُثْنِي عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ وَيُطْرِيهِ في المِدْحَةِ، فَقَالَ: «أَهْلَكْتُمْ، أَوْ قَطَعْتُمْ ظَهْرَ الرَّجُلِ». متفقٌ عليهِ.
1788/1 - Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man praising another and exaggerating in his praise. Thereupon, he said: “You have ruined - or broken - the man’s back.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
«وَالإطْرَاءُ»: المُبَالَغَةُ في المَدْحِ.
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2/1789ــ وَعَنْ أَبي بكْرَةَ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَجُلاً ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَأَثْنَىٰ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ خَيْراً، فَقَالَ النَّبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «وَيْحَكَ ! قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ» يقُولُهُ مِرَاراً: «إنْ كانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحاً لاَ مَحَالَةَ، فَلْيَقُلْ: أَحْسِبُ كَذَا وَكَذَا إنْ كَانَ يَرَىٰ أَنَّهُ كَذلِكَ، وَحَسِيبُهُ الله، وَلاَ يُزَكَّىٰ عَلَىٰ الله أَحَدٌ». متفقٌ عليه.
1789/2 - Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Mention was made of a man in the Prophet’s presence, and so another man spoke well of him. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Woe to you, you have broken the neck of your companion.’ He said it many times: ‘If anyone of you cannot help but praise another person, he should say: I think him to be such-and-such, if he sees that he is like that; and Allah knows him well, and the purity of none can be affirmed before Allah.’” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
3/1790ــ وَعَنْ همَّامِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنِ المِقْدَادِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَعَلَ يَمْدَحُ عُثمَانَ رضي الله عنه، فَعَمِدَ المِقْدَادُ، فَجَثَا عَلَىٰ رُكْبَتَيْهِ، فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو في وَجْهِهِ الْحَصْبَاءَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ: مَا شَأْنُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: إنَّ رَسُولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «إذَا رَأَيْتُمُ المَدَّاحِينَ فَاحْثُوا في وُجُوهِهِمُ التُّرَابَ». رَوَاهُ مسلم. هذِهِ الأحَادِيثُ في النّهْيِ، وَجَاءَ في الإبَاحَةِ أَحَادِيثُ كَثِيرَةٌ صَحِيحَةٌ.
1790/3 - Hammām ibn al-Hārith related that Al-Miqdād (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a person began to praise ‘Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him). So, Al-Miqdād knelt down on his knees and threw gravel at his face. Thereupon, ‘Uthmān said: “What is the matter with you?” He said: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘When you see those who praise others, throw dust upon their faces.’” [Narrated by Muslim] The foregoing Hadīths prohibit praising others; whereas there are lots of authentic Hadīths that point to the permissibility of doing so.
قَالَ العُلَمَاءُ: وَطَرِيقُ الجَمْعِ بَيْنَ الأحَادِيثِ أَنْ يُقَالَ: إنْ كَانَ المَمْدُوحُ عِنْدَهُ كَمَالُ إيمَانٍ وَيَقِينٍ، وَرِيَاضَةُ نَفْسٍ، وَمَعْرِفَةٌ تَامَّةٌ بِحَيْثُ لاَ يَفْتَتِنُ، وَلا يَغْتَرُّ بِذلِكَ، وَلا تَلْعَبُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ، فَلَيْسَ بِحَرَامٍ وَلاَ مَكْرُوهٍ، وَإنْ خِيفَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ هذِهِ الأُمُورَ، كُرِهَ مَدْحُهُ في وَجْهِهِ كَرَاهَةً شَدِيدَةً، وَعَلَىٰ هذَا التَّفْصِيلِ تُنَزَّلُ الأحَادِيثُ المُخْتَلِفَةُ في ذلِكَ. وَمِمَّا جَاءَ في الإبَاحَةِ قَوْلُهُ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأبي بكرٍ رضي الله عنه: «أَرْجُو أَنْ يكُونَ مِنْهُمْ» أَيْ: مِنَ الَّذِينَ يُدْعَوْنَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ لِدُخُولهَا، وفي الحَدِيثِ الآخر: «لَسْتَ مِنْهُمْ». أَيْ: لَسْتَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يُسْبِلُونَ أُزُرَهُمْ خُيَلاَءَ. وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعُمَرَ رضي الله عنه: «مَا رَآكَ الشَّيْطَانُ سَالِكاً فَجّاً إلَّا سَلَكَ فَجّاً غَيْرَ فَجِّكَ» وَالأحَادِيثُ في الإبَاحَةِ كَثِيرَةٌ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْتُ جُمْلَةً مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا في كِتَابِ: «الأَذْكَارِ».
Reconciling all these Hadīths, scholars said that if the praised person possesses excellent faith, certitude, strength of character, and adequate knowledge in a way that makes him immune to temptation and self-conceit, then it is not prohibited or disliked to praise him. However, if it is feared he may fall into something of these, then it is extremely disliked to praise him to his face. Based on this approach, we deal with the different Hadīths in this regard. The Hadīths speaking about the permissibility of praising others include one in which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said about Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): “I hope he will be one of them.” That is, he will be one of those who will be called to enter from all the gates of Paradise. In another Hadīth, he said to him: “You are not one of them.” In other words, you are not one of those who let their garments hang low out of pride. Also, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): “Whenever Satan sees you following a path, he follows another path other than yours.” Numerous Hadīths indicate the permissibility of praising others. Many of them are cited in the book Al-Adhkār.
يحثو: يرمي. الحصباء: صغار الحصىٰ.
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1) المدح يكون علىٰ سبيل حسن الظن بالممدوح، لا علىٰ سبيل الجزم والقطع.
1) Praise should be extended as positive thinking about the praised person, not by way of affirming and emphasizing.
2) سرعة استجابة الصحابة رضي الله عنهم لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتطبيق سُنّته، ويظهر ذلك في فعل المقداد، واستجابة عثمان وإقراره رضي الله عنهما. فاحرصْ علىٰ أن تقتدي بهدي خير هذه الأمة رضي الله عنهم.
2) The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would quickly respond to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and apply his Sunnah, as manifested in what Al-Miqdād did and in ‘Uthmān’s approval of what he did. So, we should be keen on following the guidance of the best people in this Ummah.
هل يُستحسن للمرء أن يمدح أخاه بما هو فيه أو لا؟
Is it recommended to praise someone by mentioning an attribute that really exists in him, or not?
هذا له أحوال:
A number of conditions apply here:
ــ الحالة الأولىٰ: أن يكون في مدحه خيرٌ وتشجيعٌ له علىٰ الأوصاف الحميدة والأخلاق الفاضلة، فهذا لابأس به، لكن من غير مبالغة، وهو داخل في قوله تعالىٰ: {وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقوَىٰ}.
- First condition: When praising someone encourages him to assume good morals and act rightly. In such a case, there is nothing wrong with praising him, without exaggeration. Indeed, this falls under the verse that says: {Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness}.
ــ الحالة الثانية: أن تمدحه لتبين فضله بين الناس، كقولهصلى الله عليه وسلم لأبي بكر رضي الله عنه: «أرجو أن تكون منهم»، ولعمرَ رضي الله عنه: «ما رآك الشيطان سالكاً فجّاً إلا سلك فجّاً غير فجِّك».
- Second condition: When you praise someone to show his merit among people, like the Prophet’s statement to Abu Bakr: “I hope you are one of them.” Another example is his statement to ‘Umar: “Whenever Satan sees you following a path, he follows another path other than yours.”
ــ الحالة الثالثة: أن يمدحه بما هو فيه، ليلبي له أمره أو يقضي له حاجته، فهذا جائز دون المبالغة في المدح، لأثر عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه: «إذا طلب أحدكم الحاجة فليطلبها طلباً يسيراً، فإنما له ما قُدِّرَ له، ولا يأتي أحدكم صاحبه فيمدحه، فيقطع ظهره». والله أعلم.
Third condition: When you praise someone by mentioning some qualities that really exist in him so as to get him to grant you a request or fulfill a need of yours. This is permissible, provided that no exaggeration is involved. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reportedly said: “When anyone of you seeks the fulfillment of some need, let him do so in a moderate way, for what is predestined for him will reach him. And let no one of you go to his companion and praise him, thus breaking his back.”
ــ الحالة الرابعة: أن يمدحه بما هو فيه، لكنْ يُخْشىٰ أن يغترَّ الإنسان الممدوح بنفسه ويترفع علىٰ غيره، فهذا أيضاً محرم لا يجوز.
Fourth condition: When you praise someone by mentioning some qualities that really exist in him, though it is feared he will become self-conceited and feel that he is superior to others. Such praise is prohibited and impermissible.
ــ الحالة الخامسة: أن يمدحه ويغلو في إطرائه، ويصفه بما لا يستحق، فهذا محرم، وهو كذب وخداع وضرر علىٰ المادح، والممدوح، والسامع، والله أعلم.
Fifth condition: When you praise someone exceedingly and attribute to him qualities that do not exist in him. Such praise is prohibited and it constitutes lying and deception and causes harm to the praised, the praising person, and those who hear it, and Allah knows best.