Rulings Concerning Joking in Islam

What is joking?

Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement to bring joy and happiness to the souls and increase affection among people.

Joking in the life of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions

Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-Ahzaab (35:21):

لقد كان لكم في رسول الله أسوة حسنة

“In the Messenger of Allaah is a good example for you to follow.”

Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) even taught us how to laugh and joke.

It is reported that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked by his Companions: “Are you joking with us?” He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I never say anything but the truth.” [Al-Bukhaari]

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to joke, but he never said anything but the truth in his jokes. The Companions took the same approach to humor. There are many reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions.

(1) Anas ibn Maalik (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that a man came to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)and asked him for a beast to ride. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said (jokingly) to him: “I will give you the offspring of a she camel to ride.” He (the man) said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what will I do with the offspring of a she camel?” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Are you not riding camels the offspring of she camels?” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari in Al-Adaab al-Mufrad and Al-Albaani graded it Saheeh]

 (2) Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said (called me): ‘O one with two ears!’ Abu Usamah said that he was joking with him. [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi]

(3) Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to bring his tongue out for Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali, and when the child saw the redness of his tongue, he would jump to get it. [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in As-Silsilah as Saheeha]

(4) Anas ibn Maalik (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zaahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and in return the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would provide Zaahir with whatever he needed when he intended to return to the desert. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Zaahir is our wilderness (man of the desert) and we are his town dwellers.” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) loved him so much, and he (Zaahir) was an ugly man.

One day whilst Zaahir was selling some goods, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to him and embraced him from behind. Zaahir could not see him, so he said: “Let me go! Who is this?!” Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), so he tried to move closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Who will buy this slave?” Zaahir said: “O Messenger of Allaah, you will find me unsellable.” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “But in the Sight of Allaah you are not unsellable,” or he said: “But in the Sight of Allaah you are valuable (precious).” [Ahmad]

 (5) Abu Hurairah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that an old woman came to the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, pray to Allaah that I enter Paradise.” He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)said (jokingly): “O mother of so-and–so, no old women will enter Paradise.” The woman went away crying. So the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allaah says: 

Verily, We have created them (maidens) of special creation. And made them virgins, loving their husbands only, (and) of equal age.[Surat al-Waaqi’ah (56:35-37)].”

[Authenticated by Al-Albaani in As-Silsilah as-Saheeha]

(6) Mahmud ibn Rabi’ (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “I remember back when I was a boy of five, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) took water from a bucket (used for getting water out of a well) with his mouth and threw it out on my face.” [Agreed upon]

The scholars said in their commentary for this Hadeeth: that in doing that there is bringing joy to the hearts of the children and honoring their father with that, and it also shows the permissibility of joking. [Sharh Muslim]

(7) Anas ibn Maalik (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the best of all people in character. I had a brother called Abu ‘Umair who, I think, had been newly weaned. Whenever the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) came to see him, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to say: “O Abu ‘Umair! What did an-Nughair (small bird-like sparrow) do?” It was a sparrow with which he used to play. [Agreed upon]

Nughair is diminutive of Nughar. This is a way of rhyming the name of the boy with that of the bird. Al-Bukhaari mentioned this Hadeeth in the chapter: “To be cheerful with the people.” Ibn Mas’oud (Radia-Allaah ‘anhu) said: ‘Mix with the people on the condition that your religion is not injured and joke with one’s family.’

(8) Imaam Ahmad reported on the authority of ‘Aishah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) who said: “I went with the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) on a journey. At that time, I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told the people: ‘Go on ahead.’ They went ahead, then he said to me: ‘Come, let us have a race.’ So I raced with him and I won. He put the matter to rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told the people: ‘Go on ahead.’ So they went ahead.  He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then said to me: ‘Come, let us have a race.’ And I had forgotten the previous race and I had gained weight. So I told him: ‘How can I race you and I am in this state?’ He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘You have to do it.’ So I raced with him and he won. He began to laugh and said: ‘This is for that.’” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Adaab az-Zafaaf, and he said that it is Saheeh]

(9) Abu Layla al-Ansari (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “Usaid ibn Hudair (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) was a funny man. Once, while he was with Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), talking with the people and joking with them, Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) poked his side with his finger, so Usaid ibn Hudair (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) said: ‘You hurt me!’ The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘retaliate.’ He said: ’O Messenger of Allaah, you have a shirt on.’ So the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) lifted up his shirt. Then Usaid (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) hugged him and started kissing his plank (waist) and said: ‘May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allaah, this is what I wanted.’” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh no. 4611 and said its chain is good (Jayyid)]

Some sayings and states of the Salaf regarding Joking:

Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (Rahimahullaah) [368-463A.H.] mentioned the saying of Ibn ‘Abbaas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma): “Joking about something good is allowed, and the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) joked, yet, he said the truth.”

Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad said that the people are as if they are in jail if they do not joke.

Ash-Sha’abi joked one day, so they told him: “O father of ‘Amr, do you joke?” He said: “If not, we would die out of grief (sadness).”

Muhammad ibn Siiriin [the known prominent Tabi’ee (died in 110 A.H.)] used to joke and laugh until he salivated; however, as regards his religion, the far stars are closer to you than that.

Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (Rahimahullaah) said that the people of knowledge used to say: “Whoever wants to keep his brother’s love, he should not joke with him or make him a promise and break it.”

Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (Rahimahullaah) said: “A group of the scholars hated indulging in joking because of its evil consequences of harming others honor, causing hatred and malice and ruining friendships/ brotherhood.”

Sufyan (Rahimahullaah) said: “Learn the knowledge and hold onto it, and don’t mix it with joking so the hearts would dislike it.”

Some Salaf said: “We used to joke and laugh until we became examples for the others, then we realized it does not suit us anymore.”

What was the case of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in regards to Joking?

We’ve mentioned that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was staid, sedate, sober and quiet. And he was one of the most smiling people to others. He joked with his family and Companions sometimes, but not much, and he had limits in his joking with them.

Part of that is that his joking was in truth, so he would not lie to make others laugh, and he warned us about doing that. Mu’awwiyah ibn Hayda al-Qureshi narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Woe to him who tells the people lies to make them laugh, woe to them.” [Saheeh Al-Jamie’]

He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wouldn’t allow joking or laughing about anything that concerns the religion, like in the story of the hypocrites.

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) said: “During the battle of Tubuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said: ‘I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.’ A man in the Masjid said: ‘You lie, you are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).’ This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allaah and also a part of the Qur’an was revealed about it.” ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhuma) said: “I have seen that man afterwards holding the shoulders of the Messenger’s camel, while stones were falling on him, declaring: ‘O Allaah’s Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,’ while the Messenger of Allaah was reciting:

قل أبالله وآياته ورسوله كنتم تستهزؤن.

“Was it Allaah (Azza wa Jall) and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that you were mocking?[Surat At-Tawbah (9:65)].  [At-Tabari 14:333]

After which Allaah said:

لا تعتذروا قد كفرتم بعد إيمانكم

“Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.” [Surat At-Tawbah (9:66)]

 

Rulings concerning Joking:

It is incumbent for the joke to be like the salt is for food, i.e. if there is no salt in the food human souls will not accept it, and if the food is full of salt it becomes of no use or benefit, similar is joking.

It is incumbent upon the person to be moderate in joking, not to do it excessively or abandon it totally (completely). One should not say except the truth while joking and avoid hurting others and mocking them.

An-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said: “Some scholars said: ‘the forbidden joking is the one which is excessive, and that one does persistently. Such joking causes hardness of the heart and keeps one away from remembrance of Allaah and thinking more about important religious matters. It also leads –in many times- to harming others and causing grudge in the hearts, and the loss of one’s dignity. If joking is void of all the aforementioned points, then it is allowable and that which the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to do.” [The book of Al-Adhkaar]

  1. The Forbidden joke (Haraam) is of two kinds:
  • Jokes of Kufr which include mocking (making trivial, insignificant) anything that concerns the religion or the religious people. The evidence is in the previous Hadeeth.
  • Jokes that constitute Major Sin such as telling lies to make people laugh; or fabricating stories to make them laugh. Mu’awwiyah ibn Hayda al-Qureshi narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Woe to him who tells lies to make the people laugh, woe to him.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Al-Jamie’ no. 7136]
  1. The Allowed joke should have two conditions:
  • To be few and not continuous
  • To be true (Ahadeeth on pg. 1 and pg. 5)

Sources:

? Book: Al-Adaab al-Shareya by Ibn Muflih
? Audio Tape: Al-Adaab by Shaikh Muhammad al-Munajid
? http://www.durar.net/enc/Hadeeth
? Explanation of Shamaa’il An-Nabiyy by Shaikh ‘Abdur-Razzaq al-Badr

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