Is praise (al-hamd) exclusive to Allah Almighty alone, and is it permissible to praise a created being while believing that all favor is from Allah?

The praise that is exclusive to Allah is the complete, perfect praise that encompasses all forms of praise, and none but Him is deserving of it. As for praising humans for their beautiful actions, it is permissible and there is no harm in it. We are not aware of any statement from the scholars that differentiates between hamd (praise) and shukr (gratitude) by asserting that hamd is exclusive to Allah, while shukr can be directed to a created being. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is deserving of praise; indeed, Allah named him with this noble name due to the abundance of his praiseworthy qualities. The belief that attributing praise to a created being is polytheism (shirk) is an exaggeration and a waswasah (whispering from Satan) that must be abandoned and not indulged in.