مَدحُ الرَّجُلِ بِما لَيسَ فيهِ Praising Someone for Qualities That He Does Not Have

11ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): يابنَ مَسعودٍ، إذا مَدَحَكَ النّاسُ فقالوا: إنّك تَصومُ النَّهارَ وتَقومُ اللّيلَ وأنتَ على غَيرِ ذلكَ فلا تَفرَحْ بذلكَ؛ فإنَّ اللّه‏َ تعالى يقولُ: «لا تَحْسَبَنَّ الّذينَ يَفرَحُونَ بِما أتَوا ويُحِبُّونَ أنْ يُحمَدوا بما لَم يَفْعَلوا فَلا تَحْسَبَنَّهُمْ بِمَفازَةٍ مِنَ العَذابِ ولَهُمْ عَذابٌ ألِيمٌ».

11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘O Ibn Mas`aud, if people praise you, saying, ‘You fast the day and stay awake at night’, and you do not actually do so then do not feel happy about it, for Allah Almighty says, "Do not suppose those who exult in what they have done, and love to be praised for what they have not done, do not suppose them saved from punishment, and there is a painful punishment for them." [Qur’an 3:188] [Makarim al-Akhlaq, v. 2, p. 353, no. 2660]
 

12ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن مَدَحَكَ بما لَيسَ فيكَ فَهُو ذَمٌّ لَكَ إن عَقَلتَ .

12– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Whoever praises you with something you do not have then it is a disparagement for you, if you are sane [know].’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9042]
 

13ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اِحذَرْ مَن يُطرِيكَ بما لَيسَ فيكَ فيُوشَكَ أن تَنهَتِكَ بما لَيسَ فيكَ .

13– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Beware of he who praises you with what you do not have for you may be disgraced with qualities that are not in you.’[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2, p. 17]
 

14ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ من كتابهِ للأشتَرِ ـ: اِلصَقْ بأهلِ الوَرَعِ والصِّدقِ، ثُمّ رُضهُمْ على إلّا يُطروكَ، ولا يُبَجِّوكَ بباطِلٍ لَم تَفعَلْهُ ؛ فإنَّ كَثرَةَ الإطراءِ تُحدِثُ الزَّهوَ، وتُدني مِن العِزَّةِ (الغِرَّةِ) .

14– Imam Ali (AS), in his letter to al-Ashtar, said, ‘Stick to people of piety and truthfulness, then tell them not to praise you and not to slash you with a wrong that you have not done, for too much praise brings pride and decreases dignity.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53]
 

15ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لجابرِ بنِ يزيدَ الجُعفيِّ ـ: واعلَمْ بأنّكَ لا تكونُ لنا وَلِيّا حتّى لَوِ اجتَمعَ علَيكَ أهلُ مِصرِكَ وقالوا: إنّكَ رجُلُ سَوءٍ لَم يَحزُنْكَ ذلكَ، ولَو قالوا: إنّكَ رجُلٌ صالِحٌ لَم يَسُرَّكَ ذلكَ، ولكنِ اعرِضْ نَفسَكَ على كِتابِ اللّه‏ِ ؛ فإن كنتَ سالِكاً سَبيلَهُ، زاهِداً في تَزهِيدِهِ، راغِباً في تَرغيبِهِ، خائفا مِن تَخويفِهِ، فاثبُتْ وأبشِرْ، فإنّهُ لا يَضُرُّكَ ما قيلَ فيكَ، وإن كنتَ مُبائناً للقُرآنِ فماذا الّذي يَغُرُّكَ مِن نَفسِكَ؟!

15– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said to Jabir b. Yazid al-Ju`afi, ‘Know that you will not be a friend of ours unless if all of your countrymen were to gather and claim that you are a bad person, it would not worry you, and if they were all to say that you are a good person, it would not make you any happier. Expose yourself to the Book of Allah, and if you follow its path, abstaining from that which it dictates to be abstained from, wanting what it wants, and fearing that which it frightens about, then be steadfast and rejoice, for what is said about you will not harm you. But if you are contrary to the Qur’an then what do you have to be proud about?’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, p. 46]
 

16ـ الإمامُ العسكريُّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن مَدَحَ غَيرَ المُستَحِقِّ فَقَد قامَ مَقامَ المُتَّهَمِ.

16– Imam al-‘Askari (AS) said, ‘He who praises one who is not worthy of it, stands to be suspected!’[A`alam al-Din, p. 313]