Islam is keen on protecting the reputation and honour of Muslims, be they alive or dead, and has therefore made it forbidden to harm, vilify, or abuse them. In this hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ ordered us not to abuse the dead, because they have departed this life to go where they are reaping what they have sown i.e., Allah will reward those whose deeds are good, and punish those whose deeds are evil, and forgive whoever He wishes from amongst them. For this reason, it is not permissible for anyone to rule that a particular person is from the people of Paradise or of the Hellfire, because it is only up to Allah to decide the final abode of people. It is narrated in Sunan al-Tirmidhee on the authority of al-Mugheerah ibn Shu’abh(may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not abuse the dead thus harm the living.” As can be noted, the Prophet ﷺ clarified that one of the reasons that abusing the dead is not allowed is that it harms the living i.e., it will sadden and break the heart of the relative and loved ones of the dead when they hear someone is abusing him. In other words, the order against abusing the dead considers the condition and interest of the living, keeps social coherence, and protects society from dispute and hatred. As for mentioning the dead with good, the Prophet ﷺ prescribed it and allowed it, as mentioned in the report recorded in Sunan al-Nisaa’iee, when ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not mention those who died among you except with good.” This does not conflict with the report recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim-wherein Anas ibn Maalik (may Allah be pleased with him)said: “Some Companions happened to pass by a funeral procession (bier) and they praised him (the deceased). The Prophet ﷺ said, "He will certainly enter it." Then they passed by another funeral procession, and they spoke ill of the deceased. The Prophet ﷺ said, "He will certainly enter it." `Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "(O Messenger of Allah,) what do you mean by “He will certainly enter it?'' He ﷺ replied, "You praised the first person, so he will enter Jannah; and you spoke ill of the second person, so he will enter Hell. You are Allah's witnesses on earth."-As it can be reconciled with the other narrations. One of these reconciliations is that the order to never abuse the dead does not include hypocrites, disbelievers, and those who committed their sins and practised their innovations in public. With that said, it is not forbidden to mention the evil of hypocrites, disbelievers, and public sinners to warn others from them, so others do not follow their ways or character. The reason that the Companions spoke ill of the deceased, as mentioned in this hadeeth, was because he was known for his hypocrisy or sins. To recap, the motive for speaking ill of the deceased is based on a valid reason in religion – that is, to warn people from his evil. .