Sahih Muslim

Sahih Muslim 3000 b

The Prohibition Of Praising if It Involves Exaggeration And There Is The Fear That It May Be A Source Of Temptation (Fitnah) For The One Who Is Praised
Arabic hadith text
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبَّادِ بْنِ جَبَلَةَ بْنِ أَبِي رَوَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، قَالَ شُعْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ، الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَفْضَلُ مِنْهُ فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏وَيْحَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ مِرَارًا يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلاَنًا إِنْ كَانَ يُرَى أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏
Translation
Abd al-Rahman b. Abu Bakra reported on the authority of his father that a person was mentioned in the presence of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and a person said

Allah's Messenger, no person is more excellent than he after Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, and he said this twice. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If anyone has to praise his brother at all, he should say: I think him to be so and so, and even on this he should say: I do not consider anyone purer than Allah (considers).