An Islamic perspective: Joking Around (10)

Joking around is considered to be bad in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Avoid arguing with your brethren and abstain from excessive joking around."

Prophet Muhammad (saw) also said: "I tell jokes, but never excessively tell jokes and never say what is not right."

Prophet Muhammad's (saw) Jokes:

Prophet Muhammad (saw) told some nice jokes. As an example, consider the following. One day an old lady went to see Prophet Muhammad (saw). Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "An old lady does not go to Heaven." The old lady started to cry. Then Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "On that day you will not be old. You will be young." Allah (SWT) said the following in Noble Qur'an: "We have created (their Companions) of special creation, and made them virgin - pure (and undefiled)." [Sura Al-Waqiah 56:35-36]

Imam Ali (as) said: "Jokes that make you laugh will take away the intellect and make you look bad."

Imam Sajjad's (as) views on Clowns:

A clown once pulled off Imam Sajjad's (as) cloak. Imam Sajjad (as) did not say anything. The people followed the clown and took back the cloak. They brought it back and put it on Imam Sajjad's (as) shoulder. Imam Sajjad (as) asked: "Who did that?" The people said: "It was a clown who makes the people laugh." Then Imam Sajjad (as) said: "Tell him that there is a day for Allah (SWT) in which those who waste their life and make others laugh will not gain anything but loss."

11 - Making Fun of others:

Scholars in ethics have considered making fun of people as one of the factors that corrupt the tongue. Allah (SWT) said in the following verse of Noble Qur'an: "O' ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong." [Sura Al-Hujraat 49:11]

The first principle referred to in this verse is respecting the Muslims. Muslims should respect each other in social encounters. Materialists have a different world outlook than Muslims. Materialists respect one for his physical beauty and financial stability, but Muslims respect man's moral values. In the above verse, making fun of others is forbidden. Men are unaware of each other's inner thoughts and feelings. It may be that an ugly man has a very beautiful character. He might be made fun of for his looks, but if others knew him well they would never make fun of him. That is why it is not allowed to make fun of anyone and it is forbidden to make fun of the crippled.