Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:
➊ In the aforementioned hadith and narrations, condemnation has been mentioned regarding praising someone to his face. Doing so poses a risk of the person being praised falling into destruction, and the corruption of one’s religion is itself a person’s destruction. Therefore, one should avoid praising others to their face.

➋ Praising someone to his face is also destructive for the one who praises. This is because, generally, praising someone to his face involves elements of showing off (riya’) or flattery. Similarly, being the cause of the corruption of a Muslim’s religion is a very grave sin.

➌ The narration from Sayyiduna Umar radi Allahu anhu, that praising is akin to slaughtering, is also reported as a marfu’ (attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Refrain from praising one another, for it is like slaughtering.” (Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, Hadith: 1284)