Remembrance 1 from Chapter 222
PRAISING A MAN and extolling his virtues may be done to his face or in his absence. There is no restriction on what may be said in his absence, unless the person who praises speculates and begins to lie, when it becomes ḥarām because of the lies and not because of the praise. Praise in which there is no falsehood is mustaḥabb as long as some benefit accrues from it and it would not cause harm if it were conveyed to the person who is praised by causing him to be tempted [into vanity] and misguided. There are hadiths which rule that praising a person to his face is permissible or mustaḥabb. There are also hadiths which rule that it is forbidden. The way to reconcile these hadiths is as follows: if the person who is praised is perfect in faith and has good conviction and spiritual understanding and knowledge, so that he will not be tempted or beguiled by it and his soul will not play games with him, then it is not ḥarām or makrūh. If there is a risk of any of these things, it is extremely makrūh to praise him.