The Manners of Joking in Islam

To throw jokes or simply bantering around is already a habit of our everyday lives. No matter what the title you have got or no matter how old you are, there is almost no one that has never thrown a single joke in their entire life, within their families, amongst friends or someone he just got to know about.

In Islam, the interaction between each individual has its own limit that has to be understood. Including the manner of joking in Islam. What are those? Read the article below!

Rasulullah as a role model

There many of The Prophet shallahu ‘alaihi wasallam good deeds that should be an exemplary to us in this modern day.

Allah SWT said:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.”

All his life, The Prophet shalallahu ‘alaihi wasallam did joke around, with his wives and his companions. He did it to ease the heart of the people around him and to make them a little bit happier. However, The Prophet would never exaggerate his banter, there is always a limit. As to how described by the hadith below:

From Aisyah Radhiyallahu Anha:

مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  مُسْتَجْمِعًا قَطُّ ضَاحِكًا حَتَّى تُرَى مِنْهُ لَهَوَاتُهُ, إِنَّمَا كَانَ يَتَبَسَّمُ

“I have never seen Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughing so heartily that his uvula could be seen. He used to smile only.” (Hadith Bukhari and Muslim)

Abu Hurairah narrated, the companions have asked The Messenger of Allah: 

نَعَم ْ! غَيْرَ أَنِّي لاَ أَقُوْلُ إِلاَّ حَقًّا

“They said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! You joke with us?’ He said: ‘Indeed I do not say except what is true.'” (Hasan)’

According to the hadith above, then it is concluded while joking we should say with truth and do not exaggerate. Do understand the law of lying while joking! Although we appeared as funny and enjoyable, it is prohibited to make a lie as the source of joking and bantering around.

The Prophet said:

وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِى يُحَدِّثُ فَيَكْذِبُ لِيُضْحِكَ بِهِ الْقَوْمَ وَيْلٌ لَهُ وَيْلٌ لَهُ

“Woe to him who lies in his talk to make the people laugh, Woe to him! Woe to him!” (At-Tirmidhi, 3315)

While joking in Islam we are also advised to not laugh way too loud which created a ruckus. The law of laughing out loud in Islam is explained by the hadith below:

لاَ تُكْثِرُ الضَّحَكَ فَإِنَّ كَثْرَةَ الضَّحَكِ تُمِيْتُ القَلْبَ

“Do not laugh a lot, for laughing a lot deadens the heart.” (Abu Hurairah, 4193)

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The exemplary of The Messenger of Allah jokes

Below are some of the examples that have been done by The Prophet:

• Joking with companions (friends)

Anas RA narrated one of The Prophet’s way of joking. He said, The Prophet once call him with:

يَا ذَا الأُذُنَيْنِ !

 “O possessor of two ears!” (At-Tirmidhi, 3828)

Anas narrated, 

The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to come to visit us. I had a younger brother who was called Abu ‘Umair by Kunyah (surname). He had a sparrow with which he played, but it died. So one day the prophet (May peace be upon him) came to see him and saw him grieved. He asked: What is the matter with him? The people replied: His sparrow has died. 

يَا اَبَا عُمَيْرٍ مَا فَعَلَ النُغَيْرُ

He then said: Abu ‘Umair! What has happened to the little sparrow?  (Abi Dawud, 4969)

• Joking with wives

In Islam, there is the foremost purpose of joking with a wife while living as a family. Other than to make the heart of a wife delighted, the playful banter from a husband is to keep the harmony and love between the households.

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The Prophet found often joke around, teasing Aisyah.

One day He said to her:

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, 

“Indeed, I can tell when you are angry or pleased with me.”

I said, “How do you know that, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, 

“Verily, when you are pleased, you say: Yes, by the Lord of Muhammad! But when we you are upset, you say: No, by the Lord of Abraham!”

I said, “Yes, I do not leave out anything but your name.” (Al-Bukhari, 5728)

There is a short passage regarding the manner of joking in Islam that we need to know. Wishing all of us become a Muslim with great akhlaq and blessing for and from Allah. Aamiin.