The Virtue of Being Unfazed by Criticism or Praise (6): Seven types of people in their praise & criticism of others

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🔘 Ibn Hazm (رحمه الله) says:

النَّاس فِي أَخْلَاقهم على سبع مَرَاتِب

“People in their character fall into seven categories:

فطائفة تمدح فِي الْوَجْه وتذم فِي المغيب وَهَذِه صفة أهل النِّفَاق من العيابين وَهَذَا خلق فَاش فِي النَّاس غَالب عَلَيْهِم،

1. A group that praises in one’s face and criticizes behind their back, and this is characteristic of hypocritical fault-finders, and this trait is prevalent and most dominant among people.

وَطَائِفَة تذم فِي المشهد والمغيب وَهَذِه صفة أهل السلاطة والوقاحة من العيابين،

2. A group that criticizes both in person and behind your back, and this is the characteristic of those who are overly harsh and rude among fault-finders.

وَطَائِفَة تمدح فِي الْوَجْه والمغيب وَهَذِه صفة أهل الملق والطمع ،

3. A group that praises both in the face and behind the back, and this is the characteristic of people who are flattering and utilitarian.

وَطَائِفَة تذم فِي المشهد وتمدح فِي المغيب وَهَذِه صفة أهل السخف والنواكة ،

4. A group that criticizes in person and praises in absence, and this is the characteristic of those who are frivolous and inconsistent.

وَأما أهل الْفضل فيمسكون عَن الْمَدْح والذم  فِي الْمُشَاهدَة ويثنون بِالْخَيرِ فِي المغيب أَو يمسكون عَن الذَّم   

5. As for the people of virtue, they refrain from praise and criticism in person and speak well of others in their absence, or they (at least) refrain from criticizing (in one’s absence).

وَأما العيابون البرآء من النِّفَاق والقحة فيمسكون فِي المشهد ويذمون فِي المغيب

6. The fault-finders who are free from hypocrisy and rudeness refrain from criticism in person and criticize in absence.

وَأما أهل السَّلامَة فيمسكون عَن الْمَدْح وَعَن الذَّم   فِي المشهد والمغيب

7. Lastly, the people seeking safety refrain from praise and criticism publicly and in their absence.

وَمن كل من أهل هَذِه الصِّفَات قد شاهدنا وبلونا

And from each of these categories, we have observed and experienced individuals.”