عَنْ هَمَّامِ بنِ الْحَارِثِ، عنِ المِقْدَادِ رضي اللّه عَنْهُ أنَّ رَجُلًا جعَل يَمْدَحُ عُثْمَانَ رضي اللّه عنه، فَعَمِدَ المِقْدادُ، فَجَثَا عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، فَجَعَلَ يَحْثُو في وَجْهِهِ الْحَصْبَاءَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ: مَا شَأْنُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: إنَّ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قَالَ: «إذَا رَأَيْتُمُ المَدَّاحِينَ، فَاحْثُوا في وَجُوهِهِمُ التُّرابَ» رَوَاهُ مسلم. فَهَذِهِ الأحَادِيثُ في النَّهْيِ، وَجَاءَ في الإبَاحَةِ أحَادِيثُ كثِيرَةٌ صَحِيحَةٌ. قَالً العُلَمَاءُ: وَطريقُ الجَمْعِ بَيْنَ الأحَادِيثِ أنْ يُقَالَ: إنْ كَانَ المَمْدُوحُ عِنْدَهُ كَمَالُ إيمَانٍ وَيَقِينٍ، وَريَاضَةُ نَفْسٍ، وَمَعْرِفَة تَامَّةٌ بِحَيْثُ لا يَفْتَتِنُ، وَلا يَغْتَرُّ بِذَلِكَ، وَلا تَلْعَبُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ، فَلَيْسَ بِحَرَامٍ وَلا مَكْرُوهٍ، وإنْ خِيفَ عَلَيْهِ شَيءٌ منْ هَذِهِ الأمُورِ كُرِهَ مَدْحُهُ في وَجْهِهِ كَرَاهَةً شَدِيدَةً، وعَلَى هَذَا التَّفْصِيلِ تُنزَّلُ الأحاديثُ المُختَلفَة في ذَلِكَ. وَمِمَّا جَاءَ في الإبَاحَةِ قَوْلُهُ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم لأبي بَكْرٍ رضي اللّه عَنْهُ: «أرْجُو أنْ تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ» أيْ: مِنَ الَّذِينَ يُدْعَوْنَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ أبْوابِ الْجَنَّةِ لِدُخُولِهَا، وفي الحَديثِ الآخَرِ: «لَسْتَ مِنْهُمْ» أيْ: لَسْتَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يُسْبِلُونَ أُزُرَهُمْ خُيَلاءَ. وَقَالَ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم لِعُمَرَ رضي اللّه عَنْهُ: «مَا رَآكَ الشَّيْطَانُ سَالِكًا فَجًّا إلّا سلكَ فَجًّا غَيْرَ فَجِّك»، وَالأحَادِيثُ في الإبَاحَةِ كَثِيرَةٌ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرْتُ جُمْلَةً مِنْ أطْرَافِهَا في كتاب: «الأذْكَار»

Hammam ibn al-Harith reported, from al-Miqdad (may Allah be pleased with him), that a man began to praise Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Miqdad went and knelt down upon his knees and began to throw pebbles into his face. Uthman said to him: What is the matter with you? He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you see the flatterers, throw dust in their faces." Reported by Muslim. These hadiths concern the prohibition, but many authentic hadiths have also come regarding permissibility. The scholars said: The way to reconcile the hadiths is to say: If the one praised possesses perfect faith and certainty, disciplined self-restraint, and complete knowledge, such that he will not be tempted, nor deluded by it, nor will his soul toy with him, then it is neither forbidden nor disliked. But if any of these things are feared for him, then praising him to his face is severely disliked. Upon this detailed distinction the differing hadiths on the matter are to be understood. Among what has come regarding permissibility is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): "I hope you will be among them" — that is, among those who will be called from all the gates of Paradise to enter it. And in another hadith: "You are not among them" — that is, you are not among those who let their lower garments trail out of arrogance. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): "Satan never saw you traveling a path but that he took a path other than yours." The hadiths on permissibility are many, and I have mentioned a number of them in the book al-Adhkar.