Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:4805Aḥmad b. Yūnus > Abū Shihāb > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

You have beheaded your friend (saying it three times). He then said : One who cannot help expressing praise of his companion, should say : I consider him such and such (as he intends to say), but I do not declare him pure with Allah.  

أبو داود:٤٨٠٥حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو شِهَابٍ عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَثْنَى عَلَى رَجُلٍ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِذَا مَدَحَ أَحَدُكُمْ صَاحِبَهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي أَحْسِبُهُ كَمَا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَقُولَ وَلاَ أُزَكِّيهِ عَلَى اللَّهِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Bayhaqī
bukhari:2662Muḥammad b. Salām > ʿAbd al-Wahhāb > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

A man praised another man in front of the Prophet ﷺ . The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Woe to you, you have cut off your companion's neck, you have cut off your companion's neck," repeating it several times and then added, "Whoever amongst you has to praise his brother should say, 'I think that he is so and so, and Allah knows exactly the truth, and I do not confirm anybody's good conduct before Allah, but I think him so and so,' if he really knows what he says about him."  

البخاري:٢٦٦٢حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَامٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

أَثْنَى رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مِرَارًا ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلَانًا وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلَا أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا أَحْسِبُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ  

bukhari:6162Mūsá b. Ismāʿīl > Wuhayb > Khālid > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

A man praised another man in front of the Prophet. The Prophet ﷺ said thrice, "Wailaka (Woe on you) ! You have cut the neck of your brother!" The Prophet ﷺ added, "If it is indispensable for anyone of you to praise a person, then he should say, "I think that such-and-such person (is so-and-so), and Allah is the one who will take his accounts (as he knows his reality) and none can sanctify anybody before Allah (and that only if he knows well about that person.)".  

البخاري:٦١٦٢حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ عَنْ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

أَثْنَى رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَجُلٍ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ أَخِيكَ ثَلاَثًا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَادِحًا لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلاَنًا وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ  

muslim:3000aYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, you have broken the neck of your friend-he said this twice. If one of you has to praise his friend at all, he should say: I think (him to be) so and Allah knows it well and I do not know the secret of the heart and Allah knows the destined end, and I cannot testify his purity against Allah but (he appears) to be so and so.  

مسلم:٣٠٠٠aحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلاً عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مِرَارًا إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا صَاحِبَهُ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلاَنًا وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا أَحْسِبُهُ إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَاكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

ibnmajah:3744Abū Bakr > Shabābah > Shuʿbah > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

"A man praised another man in the presence of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Woe to you,you have cut the neck of your companion,'several times. Then he said: 'If anyone of you praises his brother, let him say: "I think he is lie this, but I do not sanctify anyone before Allah."  

ابن ماجة:٣٧٤٤حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلاً عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَيْحَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مِرَارًا ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُهُ وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا  

ahmad:20462ʿAffān > Wuhayb And Yazīd / Ibn Zurayʿ > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakarah > Abū Bakarah

Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, you have broken the neck of your friend-he said this twice. If one of you has to praise his friend at all, he should say: I think (him to be) so and Allah knows it well and I do not know the secret of the heart and Allah knows the destined end, and I cannot testify his purity against Allah but (he appears) to be so and so. (Using translation from Muslim 3000a)   

أحمد:٢٠٤٦٢حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ وَيَزِيدُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكَرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَكَرَةَ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مِرَارًا إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا صَاحِبَهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسَبُ فُلَانًا وَاللهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلَا أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللهِ أَحَدًا إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ أَحْسَبُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

ibnhibban:5766Aḥmad b. Mukram b. Khālid al-Birtī > ʿAlī b. al-Madīnī > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

"A man praised another man in the presence of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Woe to you,you have cut the neck of your companion,'several times. Then he said: 'If anyone of you praises his brother, let him say: "I think he is lie this, but I do not sanctify anyone before Allah." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3744)   

ابن حبّان:٥٧٦٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُكْرَمِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْبِرْتِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْمَدِينِيِّ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ الْحَذَّاءُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ» مِرَارًا ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلَانًا وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا»  

ذِكْرُ الْعِلَّةِ الَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا زُجِرَ عَنْ هَذَا الْفِعْلِ

ibnhibban:5767Abū Yaʿlá > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Shabābah > Shuʿbah > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

"A man praised another man in the presence of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Woe to you,you have cut the neck of your companion,'several times. Then he said: 'If anyone of you praises his brother, let him say: "I think he is lie this, but I do not sanctify anyone before Allah." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3744)   

ابن حبّان:٥٧٦٧أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَيْحَكَ ‍‍ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ» مِرَارًا ثُمَّ قَالَ «إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا أَخَاهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلَانًا وَلَا أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَدًا»  

bayhaqi:21135al-Shaykh al-Imām Abū al-Ṭayyib Sahl b. Muḥammad b. Sulaymān ؒ Imlāʾ > Abū Sahl Bishr b. Abū Yaḥyá al-Mihrajānī > Ibrāhīm b. ʿAlī al-Dhuhlī > Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Khālid al-Ḥadhhāʾ > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Bakrah from his father

Woe be to thee, you have broken the neck of your friend, you have broken the neck of your friend-he said this twice. If one of you has to praise his friend at all, he should say: I think (him to be) so and Allah knows it well and I do not know the secret of the heart and Allah knows the destined end, and I cannot testify his purity against Allah but (he appears) to be so and so. (Using translation from Muslim 3000a)   

البيهقي:٢١١٣٥حَدَّثَنَا الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ أَبُو الطَّيِّبِ سَهْلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ إِمْلَاءً أنبأ أَبُو سَهْلٍ بِشْرُ بْنُ أَبِيُ يَحْيَى الْمِهْرَجَانِيُّ ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الذُّهْلِيُّ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى أنبأ يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ

مَدَحَ رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ قَطَعْتَ عُنُقَ صَاحِبِكَ مِرَارًا إِذَا كَانَ أَحَدُكُمْ مَادِحًا صَاحِبَهُ لَا مَحَالَةَ فَلْيَقُلْ أَحْسِبُ فُلَانًا وَاللهُ حَسِيبُهُ وَلَا أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللهِ أَحَدًا أَحْسِبُهُ إِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ ذَاكَ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَحْيَى