The Humor and Smiles of the Prophet ﷺ

Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman Azmi (Rahimahullah)
"Bab al-Tabsim wa al-Dahik"
Smiling and Laughing


Hadith 1: Smiling of the Prophet ﷺ
"ʿA'ishah (RA) said: 'I never saw the Prophet ﷺ laughing so hard that his teeth were visible. He only used to smile.'" [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6092, and Muslim 899:16]

Translation:
Aisha (RA) stated that she never saw the Prophet ﷺ laugh in a loud manner, with his teeth showing. He only used to smile.

Hadith 2: The Story of Rifa'a and 'Abdul-Rahman ibn al-Zubair
"ʿA'ishah (RA) reported that Rifa'ah al-Qurazi divorced his wife, and after that, she married 'Abdul-Rahman ibn al-Zubair. She came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I was married to Rifa'ah, who divorced me three times, and I then married 'Abdul-Rahman ibn al-Zubair, but he has nothing with him, except for this piece of cloth.' She showed the Prophet ﷺ a piece of cloth she had. Abu Bakr (RA) was sitting beside the Prophet ﷺ, and Ibn Sa'id ibn al-‘As was sitting by the door. Khalid (ibn Sa’id) said: 'O Abu Bakr, will you not rebuke this woman for speaking in this way in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ only smiled and said: 'Maybe you want to return to Rifa’ah, but no, not until you taste what he tasted, and he tastes what you tasted.'" [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6084, and Muslim 1433:112-113, with the wording of Al-Bukhari]

Translation:
Aisha (RA) narrated the story where a woman, after being divorced three times by her husband Rifa'ah, married 'Abdul-Rahman ibn al-Zubair. She came to the Prophet ﷺ complaining about the situation. The Prophet ﷺ smiled and made a humorous remark about the woman's desire to return to her first husband.

Hadith 3: Umar ibn al-Khattab and the Women of Quraysh
"Said ibn Abi Waqqas reported: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) sought permission to enter upon the Prophet ﷺ, and there were women from Quraysh sitting with him, asking him and raising their voices above his. When Umar sought permission, they quickly withdrew behind the veil. The Prophet ﷺ gave him permission, and when he entered, he was laughing. Umar (RA) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you, may Allah keep you in joy.' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'I was amazed by these women who were sitting with me; when they heard your voice, they withdrew behind the veil.' Umar (RA) said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you are more deserving of them fearing you.' The Prophet ﷺ turned to them and said: 'O enemies of your souls, do you fear me and not the Prophet ﷺ?' They said: 'You are more severe and stern than the Prophet ﷺ.' The Prophet ﷺ replied: 'By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, if Satan encountered you on a path, he would take a different path.'" [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6085, and Muslim 2396]

Translation:
Umar (RA) narrated an incident where the Prophet ﷺ smiled at the women of Quraysh when they quickly moved behind the veil upon hearing Umar’s voice. The Prophet ﷺ made a lighthearted remark about their fear, saying that Satan would avoid Umar because of his strictness.

Hadith 4: The Man Who Committed an Error During Ramadan
"Abu Huraira (RA) said: 'A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "I am ruined, I had relations with my wife during the day in Ramadan." The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Free a slave.' The man replied: 'I cannot.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Then fast two consecutive months.' The man said: 'I am not able to do that.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Then feed sixty poor people.' The man said: 'I do not have the means.' A large basket of dates was brought to the Prophet ﷺ. Ibrahim explained that 'Arq' refers to a container. The Prophet ﷺ then asked: 'Where is the one who is asking?' He was told that the man was there. The Prophet ﷺ smiled and said: 'Give it as charity to him.' The man said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing to give but I know that in Madinah there is no one poorer than us.' The Prophet ﷺ laughed until his teeth were visible and said: 'Then you may keep it.'" [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6087, and Muslim 1111, with the wording of Al-Bukhari]

Translation:
Abu Huraira (RA) narrated the story of a man who admitted to having relations with his wife during the day in Ramadan. The Prophet ﷺ gave him various options for expiation, and when the man claimed that he was the poorest in Madinah, the Prophet ﷺ smiled and allowed him to keep the charity.

Hadith 5: Jareer’s Testimony on the Prophet's Smile
"Jareer (RA) said: 'The Prophet ﷺ never refused to meet me since I embraced Islam, and whenever he saw me, he smiled at me. I complained to him that I could not stay steady on horseback, so he struck my chest with his hand and said: 'O Allah, keep him firm and make him a guide and one who is rightly guided.'" [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6089, and Muslim 2475:135]

Translation:
Jareer (RA) said that the Prophet ﷺ always smiled whenever he saw him and even prayed for him to remain firm and guided when Jareer complained about his difficulty with riding horses.

Hadith 6: The Rain Prayer and the Prophet’s Smile
"Anas (RA) said: 'A man came to the Prophet ﷺ on a Friday while he was delivering the sermon in Madinah, saying: 'There has been a drought, please ask your Lord to send rain.' The Prophet ﷺ looked at the sky, and there were no clouds. He prayed for rain, and clouds gathered, followed by rainfall, and the streams of Madinah flowed. The rain continued until the next Friday. The same or another man stood up during the sermon and said: 'We are drowning, please ask Allah to hold the rain.' The Prophet ﷺ smiled and said: 'O Allah, around us, and not on us,' twice or thrice. The clouds split, raining on the surrounding areas but leaving Madinah dry. The people saw the Prophet ﷺ’s miracle and the acceptance of his prayer." [Muttafaqun 'alayh: Reported by Al-Bukhari 6093, 1014, and Muslim 897:8]

Translation:
Anas (RA) narrated how the Prophet ﷺ prayed for rain when a man asked him to do so, and rain poured down. When the rain became excessive, the Prophet ﷺ humorously asked Allah to send the rain around Madinah, leaving the city dry while the surrounding areas received the rain.
 
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