Islamic Reminders - 2

Reminder#207

◇بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم◇

" And if you ask them, they will surely say, ' We were only conversing and playing.'
Say,' Is it Allah and His verses (lessons, evidences, commands, signs, revelations etc) and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. "
[ Quran 9:65-66 ]

~~RULING ON JOKING IN ISLAM :

1 - It should not involve any element of making fun of Islam.

Ibn Taymiyah said: "Making fun of Allah, His Signs and His Messenger is kufr (disbelief) and the one who does that disbelieves thereby after he had believed."

The same applies to making fun of some Sunnahs, an action which is widespread, such as making fun of the beard , the hijab , refraining from prohibited acts etc.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen said in al-Majmoo' al-Thameen, 1/63:

" The matters of Divine Lordship, Prophethood, Revelation and religion are sacred matters which are to be venerated. It is not permissible for anyone to show disrespect towards them, whether by mocking them to make others laugh or to poke fun at them. Whoever does that has to repent to Allah for what he has done, because that is a kind of hypocrisy. So he has to repent to Allah, seek His forgiveness, mend his ways and develop fear of Allah, veneration towards Him and love for Him in his heart. And Allah is the Source of strength."

2 - The jokes should only be truthful.

The Prophet (saw) said: "Woe to the one who tells lies to make people laugh, woe to him."
(Abu Dawood)

3 - The jokes should not be excessive.

Some people joke too much and it becomes a habit for them. This is the opposite of the serious nature which is the characteristic of the believers.
Joking is a break, a rest from ongoing seriousness and striving; it is a little relaxation for the soul.
'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azeez (ra) said: "Fear joking, for it is folly and generates grudges."

Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"The kind of joking which is forbidden is that which is excessive and persistent, for it leads to too much laughter and hardening of the heart, it distracts from remembrance of Allah, and it often leads to hurt feelings, generates hatred and causes people to lose respect and dignity. But whoever is safe from such dangers, then that which the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to do is permissible for him."

4 - It should not involve backbiting.

This is is a foul sickness. Some people think that they can talk about others, and say that this is by way of joking, but it is included in the hadeeth of the Prophet (saw), " Backbiting is your mentioning about your brother something that he dislikes." (Muslim)

5 - Choosing appropriate times for joking.

Such as when you are taking a trip in the countryside, or attending a party in the evening, or when meeting a friend, you may relax and enjoy some gentle anecdotes, nice stories or light jokes, in order to generate friendship and instill happiness in the heart; or when family problems are taking their toll and one of the spouses is angry, some gentle joking may relieve the tension and cheer people up.

- A man said to Sufyaan ibn 'Uyaynah "Joking is not right, it is to be denounced." He replied, "Rather it is Sunnah, but only for those who know how to do it and do it at the appropriate time."

Nowadays, although the ummah needs to increase the love between its individual members and to relieve itself of boredom, it has gone too far with regard to relaxation, laughter and jokes. This has become a habit which fills their gatherings and wastes their time, so their lives are wasted and their newspapers are filled with jokes and trivia.

Muslim men and women have to be inclined to choose righteous and serious friends in their lives, who will help them to make good use of their time and strive for the sake of Allah with seriousness and steadfastness, good and righteous people whose example they can follow.

- Bilaal ibn Sa'd said: "I saw them [the Sahaabah] jokingly pretending to fight over some goods, and laughing with one another, but when night came they were like monks."

- Ibn Umar (ra) was asked, "Did the Companions of the Prophet (saw) laugh?" He said, "Yes, and the faith in their hearts was like mountains."

So, we have to follow the example of such people, who were knights by day and monks (i.e., devoted worshippers) by night.

May Allah keep us, you and our parents safe on the Day of the Greatest Terror, those to whom the call will go out on that great Day:
" Enter Paradise, [O People of the Elevations]. No fear will there be concerning you, nor will you grieve."
[ Quran 7:49 ]