Funny Stories and Laughing

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ الرَّجُلُ يَكُونُ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ فَيَجْرِي بَيْنَهُمْ كَلَامٌ يَمْزَحُونَ وَ يَضْحَكُونَ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ عَنَى الْفُحْشَ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ فَيُهْدِي لَهُ الْهَدِيَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ مَكَانَهُ أَعْطِنَا ثَمَنَ هَدِيَّتِنَا فَيَضْحَكُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص وَ كَانَ إِذَا اغْتَمَّ يَقُو

“Once I asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.) ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, can a man be with a people who speak and laugh at funny stories?’ The Imam said, ‘It is not an offense if there is not that.’ I (the narrator) then thought ‘ that ’ was his signal to indecent acts. The Imam then said, ‘Arabs would com

مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ إِلَّا وَ فِيهِ دُعَابَةٌ قُلْتُ وَ مَا الدُّعَابَةُ قَالَ الْمِزَاحُ.

“There is no believer except that within him is humour." I asked, "What is humour?". The Imam said, "Jokes."

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ كَيْفَ مُدَاعَبَةُ بَعْضِكُمْ بَعْضاً قُلْتُ قَلِيلٌ قَالَ فَلَا تَفْعَلُوا[3] فَإِنَّ الْمُدَاعَبَةَ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ وَ إِنَّكَ لَتُدْخِلُ بِهَا السُّرُورَ عَلَى أَخِيكَ وَ لَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص يُدَاعِبُ الرَّجُلَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَسُرَّهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘How is your telling funny stories for each other?’ I said, ‘It is very little.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not do so. Telling funny stories is of delightful moral discipline. You can bring joy to your brother (in belief). The Messenger of Allah would tell funny stories to bring cheerfulness fe

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ الْمُدَاعِبَ فِي الْجَمَاعَةِ بِلَا رَفَثٍ‌[4].

4. Salih ibn ‘Aqabah has narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Ju’fi who has said the following: “I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, loves a funny storyteller in a group free of abusive matters. ’”

ضَحِكُ الْمُؤْمِنِ تَبَسُّمٌ.

“The laughing of a believing person is smiling.”

كَثْرَةُ الضَّحِكِ تُمِيتُ الْقَلْبَ وَ قَالَ كَثْرَةُ الضَّحِكِ تَمِيثُ الدِّينَ كَمَا يَمِيثُ الْمَاءُ الْمِلْحَ.

“Much laughing deadens the heart. He has also said, ‘Much laughing melts one’s religion just as water melts salt.’”

إِنَّ مِنَ الْجَهْلِ الضَّحِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ عَجَبٍ قَالَ وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَا تُبْدِيَنَّ عَنْ وَاضِحَةٍ[1] وَ قَدْ عَمِلْتَ الْأَعْمَالَ الْفَاضِحَةَ وَ لَا يَأْمَنِ الْبَيَاتَ مَنْ عَمِلَ السَّيِّئَاتِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘It is ignorance to laugh without astonishment.’ The narrator has said that the Imam would say, ‘In laughing do not allow your teeth to become visible, when you have committed disgraceful deeds. One who has committed evil deeds should not feel secure about what kinds of misfortune the n

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْمِزَاحَ فَإِنَّهُ يَذْهَبُ بِمَاءِ الْوَجْهِ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Beware of jokes; it takes away the dignity of one’s face.’”

إِذَا أَحْبَبْتَ رَجُلًا فَلَا تُمَازِحْهُ وَ لَا تُمَارِهِ.

“If you love a person, do not play jokes on him and do not argue with him.”

الْقَهْقَهَةُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ.

“Laughing loud is from Satan.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ كَثْرَةُ الضَّحِكِ تَذْهَبُ بِمَاءِ الْوَجْهِ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Much laughing eliminates the dignity of one’s face.’”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْمِزَاحَ فَإِنَّهُ يَجُرُّ السَّخِيمَةَ وَ يُورِثُ الضَّغِينَةَ وَ هُوَ السَّبُّ الْأَصْغَرُ.

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘Beware of joking; it attracts hatred and hostility and it is a minor form of name-calling.’”

إِذَا قَهْقَهْتَ فَقُلْ حِينَ تَفْرُغُ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَمْقُتْنِي.

“If you have laughed loudly, say, ‘O Lord, please, do not hate me.’”

كَثْرَةُ الْمِزَاحِ تَذْهَبُ بِمَاءِ الْوَجْهِ‌[1] وَ كَثْرَةُ الضَّحِكِ تَمُجُّ الْإِيمَانَ مَجّاً[2].

“Much joking eliminates the dignity of one’s face and much laughing hurls belief far away.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ الْمِزَاحُ السِّبَابُ الْأَصْغَرُ.

“Joking is a minor form of name-calling.”

إِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْمِزَاحَ فَإِنَّهُ يَذْهَبُ بِمَاءِ الْوَجْهِ وَ مَهَابَةِ الرِّجَالِ.

“Beware of joking; it eliminates the dignity of one’s face and his respect.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَا تُمَارِ فَيَذْهَبَ بَهَاؤُكَ وَ لَا تُمَازِحْ فَيُجْتَرَأَ عَلَيْكَ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Do not quarrel; it eliminates your brilliance and do not play jokes; people grow rude and daring against you.”

لَا تُمَازِحْ فَيُجْتَرَأَ عَلَيْكَ.

“Do not play jokes; rudeness will be used against you.”

فِي وَصِيَّةٍ لَهُ لِبَعْضِ وُلْدِهِ أَوْ قَالَ قَالَ أَبِي لِبَعْضِ وُلْدِهِ‌ إِيَّاكَ وَ الْمِزَاحَ فَإِنَّهُ يَذْهَبُ بِنُورِ إِيمَانِكَ وَ يَسْتَخِفُّ بِمُرُوءَتِكَ.

“The Imam said in his will to one of his sons or that he said, ‘My father said to one of his sons: “Beware of playing jokes; it eliminates the light of your belief, and decreases your manhood.’”

كَانَ يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا ع يَبْكِي وَ لَا يَضْحَكُ وَ كَانَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع يَضْحَكُ وَ يَبْكِي وَ كَانَ الَّذِي يَصْنَعُ عِيسَى ع أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الَّذِي كَانَ يَصْنَعُ يَحْيَى ع.

“Yahya (John) ibn Zakariya would weep and would not laugh. Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam would laugh and weep. What Isa (Jesus) did was better than what Yahya would do.”