Islam Guidance

Making Fun

Making Fun 

It is a serious sin to make fun of a believer’s actions, traits or habits in a manner that people find it funny and laugh. Whether it is done verbally or by actions or gestures, there is no doubt that such a behaviour will be severely punished.

Allah (S.w.T.) says in Surah at-Tawba,

 “They who taunt those of the faithful who give their alms freely, and those who give to the extent of their earnings and scoff at them; Allah will pay them back their scoffings and they shall have a painful chastisement.”

(Surah at-Tawba 9: 79)

             According to traditions the circumstances of revelation (Shān al-NuzÅ«l) of this ayat are as follows: During the Battle of Tabuk the Holy Prophet (S) announced that people should donate as much as they can to cover the cost of this Battle. The affluent people donated large amounts and the poor gave whatever little they could. A companion by the name of Abu AqÄ«l Ansari brought 1.75 sÄ«r of dates and said, “I have laboured from last night till morning and received 3.5 sÄ«r of dates. Half I left for my family and the other half for Allah.” The hypocrites began to make fun of both the types of people and began to find faults with them. For those who donated more, they said that they have given such large amounts to show off their wealth and for those who could contribute little, they said: They want to be included among the philanthropist, or they wanted people to consider them at the time of giving charity.

             Those who have made fun of believers in this world will be laughed at in the hereafter and their abode will be hell. After the accounting all the believers will be bestowed their places in paradise and the unbelievers will be lying in Hell. Then a door will open towards Paradise and the unbelievers and hypocrites will rush towards it and see the believers in luxurious surroundings. They shall try to enter but the door would slam abruptly and the believers will burst out laughing. This is their recompense for making fun of the believers in the world.

The Messenger of Allah (S) says,

“Those who make fun will be brought on the day of Qiyāma and a door will be opened towards Paradise. He would be told to enter it fast. Full of grief and misery, as soon as he tries to enter it the door will slam shut and another door will open on the other side. He would be told enter quickly, but as soon as he reaches it they will shut that door also. He will continue in this struggle but he would not be able to enter any of the doors. At last he would lose all hope and now when he is called, he shall decline.”

(Muhajjatul Baiza Vol. 5 page 326)

 The Almighty Allah says,

 “Surely they who are guilty used to laugh at those who believe.

And when they passed by them, they winked at one another. And when they returned to their own followers they returned exulting. And when they saw them, they said: Most surely these are in error; And they were not sent to be keepers over them. So today those who believe shall laugh at the unbelievers.”

(Surah al-Mutaffifin 83: 29-34)

 “O you who believe! Let not (one) people laugh at (another) people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women (laugh) at (other) women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with your own people nor call one another by nick names.”

(Surah al-Hujurāt 49: 11)

 It is quoted in TafsÄ«r Majmaul Bayan that whenever Thabit bin Qays came to the Holy Prophet’s assembly people used to make way for him and allow him to sit nearest to the Prophet (a.s.) because he was hard of hearing. One day in morning payers he managed to get a place only in the last row. After the prayers he got up and stepping over other people went towards the Messenger of Allah (S) when there remained only one person between him and the Prophet, he said, “Let me go, so that I can sit near the Messenger (S).” The man in between told him to sit where he was. Thabit was angry but he sat down and when it was light he saw the man’s face he asked him who he was. When the man told him his name Thabit said, “So and so, son of so and so’ and mentioned the name of his mother who was notorious for her loose morals before the advent of Islam.

             The person was very much ashamed at this and he lowered his head in disgrace. It was then that the above verse was revealed.

Regarding women, the verse was revealed because Ayesha used to make fun of Umm Salama who had a loose cummerbund which dragged behind as she walked saying, “the loose end is like the dog rolling out his tongue”. Also the women used to taunt the wife of the Holy Prophet (S), Safiya, daughter of Huyy Ibn Akhtab calling her “daughter of a Jew.”

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