This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Hussain bin Mubarak Al-Mawsili's Arabic book Al-Awamer wal-Nawahi, which has been translated into Urdu by Muhammad Sarwar Gohar Sahib under the title Ahkamat o Mamnoaat.
① Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ثلاثة لا يكلمهم الله يوم القيامة ولا ينظر إليهم ولا يزكيهم ولهم عذاب أليم: رجل على فضل ماء بفلاة يمنعه عن ابن السبيل...
"On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not speak to three types of people, nor look at them with mercy, nor purify them, and for them is a painful punishment: One is a man who has surplus water in the desert but does not give it to a traveler."
In one narration, these words are added:
يقول الله تعالى له: اليوم أمنعك فضلي كما منعت فضل ما لم تعمل يداك، ورجل بايع رجلا بسلعة بعد العصر، فحلف له بالله لأخذها بكذا وكذا فصدقه فأخذها وهو على غير ذلك، ورجل بايع إماما لا يبايعه إلا لدنيا، فإن أعطاه منها ما يريد وفى له، وإن لم يعطه لم يف له
"Allah Almighty will say to him: Today I deprive you of My grace just as you deprived the traveler of surplus water, even though your hands did not produce it; and one is a man who sells goods after Asr prayer and swears before the buyer that he bought it at such and such a price, so the buyer believes him and buys it, while the seller is not truthful; and one is a man who gives allegiance to an Imam only for worldly gain, if the Imam gives him according to his desire, he remains loyal, and if not, he does not remain loyal."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Judgments 7212, Muslim, Book of Faith 108/173.
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) heard a man praising another man excessively, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
أهلكتم أو قطعتم ظهر الرجل
"You have destroyed him or you have cut off the back of the man."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Manners 6060, Muslim, Book of Asceticism and Softening of Hearts 3001/67.
② It is narrated from Humam bin Harith Maqdad (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man began praising Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), so Maqdad stood on his knees, he was physically a heavy man, and began throwing pebbles at his face. Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him: What is wrong with you? He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إذا رأيتم المداحين فاحثوا فى وجوههم التراب
"When you see those who praise excessively, throw dust on their faces."
Reference: Muslim, Book of Asceticism and Softening of Hearts 3002/69, Abu Dawood, Book of Manners 4804, Ibn Majah, Book of Manners 3742, Musnad Ahmad 6/6.
Explanation: These are the ones who make praising people their habit and routine, and use it as a means of trade, thereby consuming the praised person. As far as praising to encourage a good and excellent deed and to motivate people to follow it is concerned, it is permissible and neither blameworthy nor does it fall under the category of such excessive praisers.
③ Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man praised another man in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
ويلك قطعت عنق صاحبك، قطعت عنق صاحبك - مرارا -
"May you be ruined! You have cut off your companion’s neck, you have cut off your companion’s neck (he repeated this)."
Then he said:
من كان منكم مادحا أخاه لا محالة فليقل: أحسب فلانا والله حسيبه، ولا أزكي على الله أحدا، أحسب كذا وكذا إن كان يعلم ذلك منه
"If any one of you wants to praise his brother, let him say: I consider so-and-so to be such-and-such, and the Reckoner is Allah alone, and I do not purify anyone before Allah, I consider him such-and-such, provided that he knows about him."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Testimonies 2662, Muslim, Book of Asceticism and Softening of Hearts 3000/65.
Explanation: "You have cut off your companion’s neck" means you have destroyed him by excessive praise, you have exaggerated his reality in front of him. Now he will become proud and arrogant, and thus he will be destroyed. So by praising him excessively, it is as if you have cut off his neck.
① Sayyiduna Saeed bin Hasan narrates that Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه came to us in connection with a testimony. When a man stood up from his place for him, he refused to sit there and said: The Prophet ﷺ forbade this. And the Prophet ﷺ forbade a person from wiping his hand on clothes that he did not wear (i.e., that are not his property).
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Adab 4827.
