Excerpted from: Aḥkām wa Masā'il – In the Light of Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashar Ahmad Rabbānī
What is the ruling on light-hearted joking and banter among friends? Does it fall under the category of vain entertainment (lahw wa laʿb) and hence prohibited? Kindly clarify.
Light-hearted joking among friends is permissible, provided that it is truthful and does not involve mockery or ridicule of the Sharīʿah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself engaged in such light-heartedness, as long as it remained within the boundaries of truth and respect.
① It is narrated that Anas رضي الله عنه had a younger brother named Abū ʿUmayr, who had a red-beaked bird that he used to play with. When the bird died, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
يَا أَبَا عُمَيْرٍ! مَا فَعَلَ النُّغَيْرُ؟
“O Abū ʿUmayr! What happened to the little bird?”
[al-Bukhārī: 6303, Muslim: 2150]
② In Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (1990), it is narrated from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Companions once said:
“O Messenger of Allah! You also joke with us.”
He ﷺ replied:
إِنِّي لَا أَقُولُ إِلَّا حَقًّا
“I do not say anything except the truth.”
[Tirmidhī: 1990]
③ In Tirmidhī (1991) and Abū Dāwūd (4998), it is narrated that a man once asked the Prophet ﷺ for a riding animal. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“I will give you a baby camel to ride.”
The man said: “What can I do with a baby camel?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Is there any camel that is not the offspring of a she-camel?”
④ In Abū Dāwūd (5002) and Tirmidhī (1992), the Prophet ﷺ once addressed Anas رضي الله عنه by saying:
يَا ذَا الْأُذُنَيْنِ
“O you with two ears!”
The books of ḥadīth contain many such examples of truth-based humor, without falsehood. Joking based on lies is not permissible.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِي يُحَدِّثُ بِالْحَدِيثِ لِيُضْحِكَ بِهِ الْقَوْمَ فَيَكْذِبُ، وَيْلٌ لَهُ، ثُمَّ وَيْلٌ لَهُ
“Woe to the one who lies to make people laugh. Woe to him! Then again, woe to him!”
[Tirmidhī: 2315]
✔ Friendly joking among companions is allowed when it is based on truth and free from mockery.
✔ Falsehood, exaggeration, or any form of lying for the sake of humor is prohibited.
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on light-hearted joking and banter among friends? Does it fall under the category of vain entertainment (lahw wa laʿb) and hence prohibited? Kindly clarify.
❖ Answer:
Light-hearted joking among friends is permissible, provided that it is truthful and does not involve mockery or ridicule of the Sharīʿah.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself engaged in such light-heartedness, as long as it remained within the boundaries of truth and respect.
✦ Examples from Authentic Hadith:
① It is narrated that Anas رضي الله عنه had a younger brother named Abū ʿUmayr, who had a red-beaked bird that he used to play with. When the bird died, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
يَا أَبَا عُمَيْرٍ! مَا فَعَلَ النُّغَيْرُ؟
“O Abū ʿUmayr! What happened to the little bird?”
[al-Bukhārī: 6303, Muslim: 2150]
② In Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (1990), it is narrated from Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Companions once said:
“O Messenger of Allah! You also joke with us.”
He ﷺ replied:
إِنِّي لَا أَقُولُ إِلَّا حَقًّا
“I do not say anything except the truth.”
[Tirmidhī: 1990]
③ In Tirmidhī (1991) and Abū Dāwūd (4998), it is narrated that a man once asked the Prophet ﷺ for a riding animal. The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“I will give you a baby camel to ride.”
The man said: “What can I do with a baby camel?”
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Is there any camel that is not the offspring of a she-camel?”
④ In Abū Dāwūd (5002) and Tirmidhī (1992), the Prophet ﷺ once addressed Anas رضي الله عنه by saying:
يَا ذَا الْأُذُنَيْنِ
“O you with two ears!”
✦ Important Clarification:
The books of ḥadīth contain many such examples of truth-based humor, without falsehood. Joking based on lies is not permissible.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِي يُحَدِّثُ بِالْحَدِيثِ لِيُضْحِكَ بِهِ الْقَوْمَ فَيَكْذِبُ، وَيْلٌ لَهُ، ثُمَّ وَيْلٌ لَهُ
“Woe to the one who lies to make people laugh. Woe to him! Then again, woe to him!”
[Tirmidhī: 2315]
Conclusion:
✔ Friendly joking among companions is allowed when it is based on truth and free from mockery.
✔ Falsehood, exaggeration, or any form of lying for the sake of humor is prohibited.
References:
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6303
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2150
- Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: 1990, 1991, 1992, 2315
- Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 4998, 5002
