or the like—and then lavishes exaggerated praise upon him, attributing to him virtues he does not in fact possess. That is forbidden, and it also harms the one being praised.
- The fourth situation is to praise a person for qualities he truly has, yet there is a fear that the praise will deceive him, fill him with vanity, and make him look down on others. This, too, is prohibited and impermissible.
The author cites several hadiths on this point. On one occasion a man mentioned another in the Prophet’s presence and extolled him. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Woe to you! You have cut your companion’s neck,” meaning that you have virtually slaughtered him by praising him, for such praise leads the recipient to become haughty and overbearing.
The Prophet ﷺ also ordered that dust be thrown in the faces of habitual flatterers. Such a person is known for never sitting in front of anyone of status or prestige without heaping praise upon him. This is the maddāḥ (inveterate flatterer), and he is different from the occasional praiser (mādiḥ), whose praise is heard only now and then. Whenever the habitual flatterer sits with a ruler, governor, judge, scholar, or the like, he immediately rises to extol him; such a man deserves to have dust flung in his face.
It is related that when a man once praised ʿUthmān (d. 35 AH), al-Miqdād stood, picked up some pebbles, and scattered them in the flatterer’s face. When ʿUthmān asked why he had done so, al-Miqdād replied, “The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘If you see the habitual flatterers, then throw dust in their faces.’”
In any case, a person should speak only what is good, for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.” Allah is the One who grants success.