According to Imam Ali’s description, when someone praised one of the Prophet’s Companions, he responded to him saying: “I know myself better than others [know me]”. This is the same meaning given by Ibn `Ataa here.

The Companion added: “And my Lord is more knowledgeable of me than myself”, i.e. Allah is more knowledgeable of my flaws, sins, and mistakes than myself.

Finally, the Companion ends his response by praying to Allah: “Make me better than what they think of me.” They think good of me, so make me better than this. “O Allah, forgive me for those sins which they are unaware of”.

Sometimes people’s praise takes away the reward promised by Allah for a certain good deed. Because this praise is actually the reward that one was seeking, as his intention was not to please Allah, but to please people. This is hypocrisy, by definition.

The Sheikh says: “If the believer is praised, he should feel ashamed of Allah that people praise him for things which are not in him. The most ignorant is the one who denies what he really knows about himself and believes what others assume about him.”

Should I leave what I know for sure about myself and believe what people assume about me?

A positive attitude

In some other cases, people’s praise is glad tidings for the believer. Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased him) reported: It was said to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): What is your opinion about the person who has done good deeds and the people praise him? The Prophet said:

“It is the immediate glad tidings for a believer”. (Muslim)

The Quran mentions the same meaning:

{For them there is the glad tiding [of happiness] in the life of this world and in the life to come}. (Yunus 10: 64)

Therefore, a believer should thank Allah for the difference that people thought he/she made in their lives. Yet, he/she should not forget their own flaws.