In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Most High] said:

لَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفۡرَحُونَ بِمَآ أَتَواْ وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحۡمَدُواْ بِمَا لَمۡ يَفۡعَلُواْ فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّہُم بِمَفَازَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ‌ۖ
وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬

Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done (or brought about), and love to be praised for what they have not done,- think not you that they are rescued from the torment, and for them is a painful torment. [Surah Aal Imran. Aayah 188]

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: They rejoice in what they have brought about of bidah and misguidance, and love to be praised for following the Sunnah and sincerity. [i.e. they want to be praised for what they do not deserve with regards to following the sunnah and having sincerity]. (1)

Imaam As-Sadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: They want to be praised for that which they have not done and (praised for some) truthful (statement) they have not uttered, so they combine evil doing and its statement, and rejoice in that. And they love to be praised for some good they have not done. (2)

Do you recall the barbaric sanctions and the invasion of Iraq? Do you remember the barbaric sanctions imposed on Iraq that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iraqi children? Do you remember what some of your own journalists called an “act of military aggression launched on a false pretext!” There’s no need to give details regarding the suffering and lives lost because that is well documented. One of the contemporary American warmongers who gave a speech – on February 2003 speech to the United Nations Security Council about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq – stated thereafter in 2005 (interview with ABC News), “It’s a blot … and will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It’s painful now”. How amazing that despite this calamity that occurred at the hands of these warmongers, their British counterpart (Tony Blair) is to be honored with a title! We live in a world where blatant nonsense has become common sense to some people who claim to be people of common sense! Does this deserve praise or rebuke? However, this nonsense is expected from those intoxicated with love of power at any expense, as Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [rahimahullaah] said, “Its seekers hasten to obtain it in order to achieve their goals, exaltedness in the earth, enslavement of the hearts to them, attachment to them and aiding them in all their goals, whilst they are exalted and everyone subservient to them. This pursuit of leadership brings about corruption, which none can enumerate except Allaah, such as rebellion, envy, transgression, enmity, oppression, trials, being ardent in defending oneself at the expense of violating the rights of Allaah, exalting those despised by Allaah and belittling those honoured by Allaah”. [Source: An Excerpt from Ar-Rooh’ pages 487-489]

Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah] also said, “The seeker of leadership- even through falsehood- becomes pleased with a statement that contains an exaltation of him, even if it is falsehood; and becomes angered by a statement that contains a rebuke against him, even if it is truth. As for the believer, he is pleased with a statement of truth whether it is for or against him; and he is angered by a statement of falsehood whether it is for or against him. That is because Allaah [The Most High] loves truth, truthfulness and justice, and He hates lies and oppression”. [Majmoo Al-Fataawaa: 10/600]

Read: Lessons – For Contemporary Opportunists, Warmongers and War Profiteers – to Learn From The Character of Ottoman Sultan Uthmaan (The First) and Ottoman Sultan Murad (The First):

Lessons – For Contemporary Opportunists, Warmongers and War Profiteers – to Learn From The Character of Ottoman Sultan Uthmaan (The First) and Ottoman Sultan Murad (The First)

[1] Madaarij as-Saalikeen 1/84. slightly paraphrased]
[2] An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’. slightly paraphrased]