.:Bullet Proof Read:.

This Northern Saw-Whet owl is too cute. Awww. Got it here.

I was just reading an article about keeping the flame alive in relationships and not getting too complacent - where one of the recommended acts was to regularly compliment each other, even on mundane matters. It said we could never hear enough good about ourselves. True that.

And praising someone is generally good, as long as you avoid excessiveness, and you know it’ll have a positive effect upon the person. See the following reconciliation between the two extremes:

Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (PBUH) heard a person lauding another person or praising him too much. Thereupon he said, “You killed the man,” or he said, “You ruined the man.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

[source]

Salim bin `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them) reported, on the authority of his father, that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “What an excellent man `Abdullah is! If only he could perform optional prayers at night.” Salim said that after this, (his father) `Abdullah slept very little at night.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith points out the excellence of `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) as well as the merits of Qiyam-ul-Lail. It also tells us that it is permissible to praise someone in his presence if one is sure that he will not become proud due to that praise. Another aspect of this Hadith is that it induces one to wish for others’ welfare and happiness.

[source]

What happens these days is that a lot of hard work, skill and talent goes unrecognised and unappreciated, whereas the undeserving receive praises ad nauseam. Unfortunately this creates the imbalance between layperson and authority. It’s like what Hawkings said: The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. But this is a different subject for a different someone to dwell upon eh.

So give credit where credit is due, but with caution. After all, we ourselves know that the finest form of flattery is that heard via a third party. So-and-so said you’re lovely, great, wonderful, marvellous. They absolutely adored your work, thought it was excellent, magnificent! Ahh, how sweet to the ears. We’d be on cloud nine instead of on our feet, working.

But tell me, seriously, who ultimately would be best to receive mention from? Whose utterance is actually worth it? Who should we really desire to say our names? That’s right, smartykins, only our Lord, Most High. And He, subhanahu wa ta’ala, has promised us such in a hadith qudsi:

I come up to the expectations of My servant. I am with him when he remembers Me. When he makes mention of Me in his heart, I make mention of him to Myself. When he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in a better gathering (of the angels).
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

When you *try* measuring that against worldly compliments from insignificant human beings… Whoa. A world of a difference. Pales beyond comparison. And what’s really special here is that you’d know very well that to fit into the above description, you need to not only observe the quantity but more importantly, the quality of your dhikr.

And ’tis the lesson for today, my friends.

So erm what does the poor owl have to do with anything eh? Well, uhh, be wise in how you view things. If previously, I’ve mentioned to look to what’s being said and not who’s saying it. Now, I shall advise to look not to what others are saying (about you), but to what you are saying. Especially in such a dark time as ours. ;-)