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What is the Guidance and Adab of the Qur’an and Sunna with Regards to Comedy?
Answered by Suhaib Webb

Inshallah I plan to answer this question in three parts:

1. Islam and Humor
2. The Prophet (sa) his Companions and Humor
3. Guidelines for Muslim comedians

Islam and Humor:

There is no doubt that life is a difficult journey which takes people through a number of different test and difficulties Allah (swt) says:

Allah (swt) says:
” Verily, We have created man in toil.1”

Imam Qurtubi commented: “(Man was created) in hardship and stress from the difficulties of life.”

If life is hard for the average Joe, then it is, indeed, hardest upon those who seek Allah and nearness to him. For that reason it is said: “The believer is between five hardships: A Muslim who envies him, a hypocrite who hates him, his enemy who seeks to kill him, the devil who seeks to mislead him and his soul which seeks to struggle against him.”

The Prophet (sa) said, “Those most severely tested are the prophets and the righteous.”

Thus, for the believers’ life is hard. But when the added weight of carrying the message of the Prophet’s is added, it becomes harder. The Quranic message is not one to be taken lightly. For that reason Allah (swt) says:

“Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word.2“

Thus, in order to recharge their batteries, evaluate their status, and maintain their sincere commitment, it is quite natural that the bearers of this heavy message will need some time to let off steam, relax, and refresh their souls. In fact, recent research has shown that a little humor now and then can add to:

1. Muscle Relaxation
2. Reduction of Stress Hormones
3. Immune System Enhancement
4. Cellular Immunity3

So the question arises. Does Islam permit joking, laughing and relaxation? Our answer will focus on the first two inquiries; however, I hope in the future to answer the latter as well.

The Prophet (sa) was a balanced man:

I remember stumbling across a group of Muslims who believed that it was sunna not to smile! Indeed, whenever I would greet or exchange nice words with them, they would look as though they were upset about something? Indeed, it is this danger of extremism that is haunting our Ummah, holding it back and opening the door for it to head in the opposite direction. A simple way to cure this problem is to take the Prophet’s life in its complete form.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was first and foremost Allah’s servant and Messenger. In addition he was a husband, a friend, a general and a teacher. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived a very normal life to provide the best example for us to follow. For that reason Zaid bin Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him), when asked to describe life with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) , responded:

“I was his neighbor and if revelation descended upon him, I would write it down upon his request. And if we (the companions, may Allah be pleased with them) would discuss worldly issues, he would discuss them with us. And if we mentioned the Hereafter, he would discuss it. And if we talked about food and drink, he would talk with us about it as well. And this is everything I have to tell you about the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).”

Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a complete person. However, did he every joke or laugh?

Once the Companions asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) : “Oh Messenger of Allah! Do you joke?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded: “Yes, but I only tell the truth.4“

Examples of the Prophet’s joking and having fun:

1. It is related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raced his wife, Aiesha. The first time they raced she beat him (Allah bless him and give him peace), however the second time they raced the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) won and said, “This is (payback) for the last time.5“
2. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting with his wife, Aiesha (Allah be pleased with her), and she mentioned the story of Um Z’air. After she finished her story the Prophet, lovingly turned to her and said: “I am to you like Abi Z’ar was to Um Zair.6“
3. Once an older woman came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him “Oh messenger of Allah! Ask Allah (swt) to enter me into Paradise!” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded, “O mother of such and such! Old women will not enter the Paradise.” The woman became upset until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to her and recited:Verily, We have created them (maidens) of special creation. And made them virgins, Loving (their husbands only), equal in age.7“
4. Once our mother Aiesha (ra) was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and our mother Sawda (ra). Aiesha, prepared some soup and presented it to Sawda and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said to Sawda, “Eat.” Sawda responded, “I don’t like it.” Aiesha responded, “By Allah! If you don’t eat it, I will pour it on you!” Sawda (ra) responded, “I don’t want to taste it!” Suddenly Aiesha grabbed Sawda by her hand and wiped the soup on her face! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)(sa) tried to shield her from Aiesha. Suddenly Sawda stuck her hand in the bowel and wiped the soup on Aiesha’s face as well. Aiesha states, ” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood between both of us, covered with soup, and began to laugh.8“

There are many examples of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enjoying himself, joking and expressing his happiness. For more, please refer to the excellent article at www.SunniPath.com, How did the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) joke?

The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

There are numerous examples of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enjoying themselves, joking and relaxing. However, for the sake brevity, let us quote the statement of the great follower and Imam Ibn Sirin (ra) who was asked:

“Did the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) joke?” The great Imam replied: “There were as normal as everyone else. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to joke and sing verses of poetry.9”

Legislative limits for joking and laughing 10

Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi (may Allah preserve him) states in his book Islam and The Arts: “There is no doubt that laughing, relaxation and joking are legislated by Islam. However, these actions are bound by certain conditions, which monitor them and insure that they are pleasing to Allah.11”

The First Condition:

1. There should be no lying or trickery in order to make people laugh:

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)(sa) said, “Woe to the one who talks and lies to make people laugh. Woe to him! Woe to him! Woe to him.12”

When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)was asked if he joked, he responded: “Yes! But I only tell the truth.13”

The Second Condition:

2. There should be no mockery of others, or making fun unless their permission is taken and they are pleased with what was done.

Allah (swt) says:

“O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: “O sinner”, or “O wicked”, etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed wrong-doers.14”

It is related in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is a sufficient evil for a Muslim to degrade or humiliate his Muslim brother.15”

Once our mother Aiesha was walking with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and she made a derogatory comment about another woman. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied to her: “Indeed you said something, if it was mixed with the sea, it would pollute it.16”

The Third Condition

3. It should not be done to terrify or upset someone

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “It is not permissible for a man to terrify his fellow Muslim.17”

In another hadith the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “It is not allowed for any one of you to take his brothers property in jest or in seriousness.18

The Fourth Condition

4. That it should not be done during a time of seriousness or sadness:

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There’s a time for this and a time for that.19” and the scholars have defined Hikmah (wisdom) as, “Doing, or saying, the right thing at the right time.”

It is dangerous to see people these days making fun of religious symbols and icons. Once, Imam Ahmed was sitting with a scholar who made a wise crack regarding a verse from Surah Yusuf. Suddenly Imam Ahmed turned to him and said, “Restate the testimony of faith or I will have the punishment of apostasy imposed on you!” Therefore, it is important that we avoid joking or mocking the Qur’an, Hadith and religious leaders, because Allah, in describing those who disbelieved in the Prophet’s message, as:

” Do you then wonder at this recital (the Qur’an)? And you laugh at it and weep not, Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements.20”

The Fifth Condition

5. That the usage of humor and jest should be done in agreement with nature; avoiding extremes on both sides and agreeing with noble principles and values, which Islam has laid out. For, Islam despises extremism on both sides and seeks to create a balanced personality, which conforms to godly principles, morals and standards. Thus the Prophetic statement :

“Avoid overindulgence in laughing. For, indeed, it kills the heart.21

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1 Surah Al-Balad verse #4

2 Surah Al-Muzzamil verse 5

3 Dr. Paul E. McGhee Humor and Health, http://www.holistic- online.com/Humor_Therapy/humor_mcghee_article.htm

4 Related by Imam Tirmith hadith #. 2121

5 Related by Abu Dawod Hadith #. 2580. There is also a version in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari

6 Related by Al-Bukhari #. 5189

7 Surah Al-Waqiah verses 35-37

8 A good hadith related by Al-Zubair bin Bakar (ra).

9 Related by Abu Naim (ra) in his Hilyah volume #. 2. It is interesting to note that Ibn Sirin (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned Ibn Umar (ra), because amongst the Companions (ra) he was known as the strictest in religious matters.

10 This part of the answer is abridged from the book Islam and the Arts by Sh. Yusuf Qaradawi (may Allah preserve him) pg(s). 120-125.

11 May Allah reward the Sh. for making this point, it is important for all of our talented young men and women to insure that their actions agree with the dictates of Shairah. Thus, I strongly encourage all of our entertainers to ask the people of knowledge before doing any action. S.W.

12 A good hadith related by Tirmithi #.2485. Many of the commentators have said that “Woe” is actually a valley in the Hell fire. May Allah protect us from it S.W.

13 Related by Imam Tirmith hadith #. 2121

14 Surah Hujurat verse 11

15 Related by Muslim # 6706

16 Related by Abu Dawod #4877. Many times a spouse will hear his/her spouse backbite or slander another. We should take this lesson from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)(sa) and remind them to fear Allah and avoid evil speech. The same could be said for the campus environment amongst fellow MSA members as well.

17 Related by Al-Tabari in Al-Kabeer with a strong chain.

18 Related by Al-Tirmithi # 2313 and he declared it good.

19 Related by Muslim #7142

20 Surah Al-Najm verses 59-61

21 Related by Tirmithi Hadith #2475 and Ibn Majah #. 4333 and 4357 and Ahmed in his Musnad # 8316. However, Imam Tirmithi declares this hadith strange.

22 This answer was based on the short article by Sh. Qaradawi in his book Islam and The Arts pg(s) 120-125. May Allah reward him and protect him.

May Allah help us to practice upon this..Ameen