عَنْ أبي بَكْرَة رضي اللّه عنْهُ أنَّ رجُلًا ذُكِرَ عِنْدَ النّبيّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم، فَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ خَيْرًا، فَقَالَ النّبيّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم: «ويْحَكَ قَطَعْت عُنُقَ صَاحِبكَ» يقُولُهُ مِرَارًا «إنْ كَانَ أحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا لا مَحَالَةَ، فَلْيَقُلْ: أَحْسِبُ كَذَا وكَذَا إنْ كَانَ يَرَى أنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ، وَحَسِيبُهُ اللّه، ولا يُزَكَّى علَى اللّهِ أحَدٌ» متفق عليه.
Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and another man praised him with good [words]. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Woe to you, you have cut the neck of your companion" — saying it repeatedly — "If one of you must praise, let him say: I reckon so-and-so to be such, if he indeed sees him to be so; and his reckoner is Allah, and none is to be declared pure before Allah." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
ويحك: كلمة تقال على سبيل الترحم لمن وقع في أمر لا يستحقه. لا محالة: لا بدّ. أحسبه: أظنه. حسيبه اللّه: محاسبه فلا يكذب بالثناء بما يعلم أو يظن خلافه فيقع في الإثم. ولا يزكي: ولا يمدح ويقطع بزكاة وطهارة أحد من العيوب.
"Woe to you (wayhak)": a word said out of compassion for one who has fallen into something he does not deserve. "Inevitably (la mahalah)": inescapably; there is no avoiding it. "I reckon him (ahsibuhu)": I think him [to be so]. "His reckoner is Allah (hasibuhu Allah)": the One who will call him to account — so let him not lie in his praise [by affirming] what he knows or thinks to be otherwise, lest he fall into sin. "And none is to be declared pure (wa la yuzakka)": nor is anyone to be praised and asserted with certainty to be pure and free of faults.
الدروس · lessons
النهي عن مدح الناس جزافًا بما ليس فيهم. إذا اضطر الإنسان إلى المدح فليمدح بما يغلب على ظنّه أنّه فيهم وليقل: "أظن ذلك" لأنّ حقيقة الناس لا يعلمها إلّا اللّه تعالى.
The prohibition of praising people carelessly with [qualities] they do not possess. If a person is compelled to praise, let him praise with what he most likely believes to be in them, and let him say, "I think so," for the true reality of people is known to none but Allah, the Exalted.