Muslim

Explanation:
Nawawi rahimahullah said: Imam Muslim rahimahullah has narrated several hadiths in this chapter from which the prohibition of praising (someone) is derived, and there are many hadiths in the two Sahihs (i.e., Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) from which the permissibility of praising someone to his face is understood. The reconciliation is as follows: the prohibition applies when there is exaggeration and excess in the praise, or when there is a fear that the one being praised will fall into pride and arrogance—so it is as if he has been destroyed, and this is what is meant by “cutting the neck.” However, if the person is religious and pious, and there is no fear that praise will make him arrogant, then it is not prohibited to praise him, provided there is no exaggeration. In fact, if the intention behind the praise is to encourage him to do more good or to motivate others to do similar deeds, then it is recommended (mustahabb). End quote.

The translator says: In our times, there is hardly any praiser—except whom Allah wills—whose mouth should not be filled with dust. These people exaggerate so much in praise that, Allah forbid, they weave a web of lies. They call even the ruler of a small village, who has no real status, a king, the shadow of Allah, sultan, refuge of the world, protector of the realm, and utter all sorts of absurdities. As for the king, do not even ask—they call and write such titles for him as “Emperor, Protector of the World,” and so on, which are not befitting for anyone except Allah Ta’ala. Upon their tongues is Allah’s curse. Similarly, there are those who, in letters and petitions, write excessive titles for the addressee; they too are liars and sinful, and on the Day of Judgment they will be held accountable for these lies.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:

If a person is characterized by virtue and excellence, or he has accomplished some achievement for which he needs encouragement, then he should certainly be encouraged. However, one should not adopt such a manner and style in this encouragement that involves exaggeration and excessive praise, which may lead him to self-admiration, arrogance, and pride, and make him accustomed to hearing his own praise and commendation, or even cause him to start taking credit for the deeds of others. Furthermore, this praise and commendation should also be within the limits of one’s knowledge, because the true reality is known only to Allah; we can only know what is apparent of someone.