Did the Messenger of Allah joke?

In our noble religion, every action has its measure. Going to extremes is not encouraged. Similarly, joking also has its own etiquette that must be observed. In the hadith collection of Tirmidhi, an incident is narrated: The companions asked the Crown of Humanity, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you joke with us?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Yes, I do joke, but I only speak the truth."

As also recorded in the same hadith collection, an elderly woman once came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah to admit me into Paradise." The Messenger of Allah replied, "Indeed, old women do not enter Paradise." When the woman began to weep, he clarified, "An old woman will not enter Paradise as an old woman," meaning she would enter Paradise in a youthful state. From this, we see that the etiquette of joking is that it should be based on truth and free from lies or disrespect. As our ancestors said, "Even when joking, speak justly."

When someone said, "Joking does not lead to good," Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah responded, "No, that is not so. For the one who jokes appropriately, this is a sunnah." When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) joked with someone, he would not highlight their faults but rather uplift their status. For example, he once called the companion Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) "O owner of two ears," playfully pointing out Anas's attentiveness. The underlying purpose of the Prophet's jokes was to bring joy to his fellow Muslims. The actions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who was a role model for every Muslim, serve as a lesson for us all.

When the Prophet joked, he never hurt anyone's feelings and always chose his words wisely according to the person. Once, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to sacrifice a rooster and asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about its permissibility. The Messenger of Allah replied, "Would a muezzin sacrifice another muezzin?"—using humor to explain that a rooster is not suitable for sacrifice. Another example: On a journey, the companion Safinah (whose name means "ship") was given a load to carry. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) joked, "Now you are truly a 'ship' (safina)." On another occasion, when a man asked to be mounted on a camel, the Prophet said, "I will mount you on a camel's offspring." The man was surprised and asked, "How can I ride a camel's offspring?" The Prophet replied, "Doesn't every camel come from another camel? Is not every camel the offspring of a camel?" (Abu Dawood).

Every Muslim who considers themselves a believer should observe the etiquette of joking. The Prophet's blessed words, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent," should always be remembered when joking. As our ancestors said, "Every word has its own weight."

Eldos ZHUMADILDA

Iman Magazine, No. 9, 2024