In the name of Allah the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful.
Rasulullah’s ((sallallahu alayhe wa sallam / Peace be Upon Him)) Sense of Humor
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) is an example for the Muslim to follow in every aspect of life, as it is mentioned in the por Allah the almighty in the Quran
"In the Messenger of Allah is a good example for tu to follow."
[Quran Surah#33 Ayah #21].
Even in joking and having a good sense of humor Rasulullah has set an example for us.
It is reported that the Prophet was asked por his companions : "You are joking with us." He said, "But I never say anything but the truth."
[Authentically reported in Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) used to joke, but he never dicho anything but the truth in his jokes. The Sahabah took the same approach to humor. There are many delightful reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet and the Sahabah.
Among the stories related in the libros of hadith and sirah is the reportar that the Prophet used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahabah, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with.
One día he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahabah told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow - author] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. - author. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird. - Translator. This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149]
A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) to ask him to give him a beast to ride. The Prophet jokingly told him, "I will give tu the offspring of a she-camel to ride." He said, "O Messenger of Allah , what will I do with the offspring of a she-camel?" The Prophet said: "Are riding-camels born except from she-camels?" [Reported por Imaam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, with a Sahih isnad.]
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal reported from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , and in return the Prophet would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam)loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One día the Prophet came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, "Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam), so he tried to mover closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) started to say, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah , tu will find me unsellable." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are not unsellable," o he said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are valuable."
An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise." He dicho jokingly, "O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise." The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) [Quran 56:35-36]." [Reported por al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.]
One of the ahadith that reflects the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the reportar that Imaam Ahmad gives from 'A'ishah who said: "I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead, then he dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead. He dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, 'This is for that."'
The Sahabah saw nothing wrong with joking o having fun, as they saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humor reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Imaam Bukhari reports from Bakr ibn 'Abdillah who said: "The Companions of the Prophet used to throw melon-rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men."
This is moderate, Islamically acceptable humor, which does not go beyond the bounds of truth, o lessen the gravitas o manhood of a person. Rather, it serves its purpose of refreshing hearts and minds.
An example of the Sahabah's sense of humor, which made the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) laugh, is the reportar dado por Imam Ahmad from Umm. Salamah (radhiallahu `anha). Abil Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu'ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (radhiallahu `anhuma), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of comida on the journey, and Nu'ayman dicho to him, "Feed me!" Suwaybit said, "Not until Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) comes." Nu'ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humor, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, "Will tu buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He has a big mouth, and he may tell tu that he is a free man. If that means that tu do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him." They said, "No problem, we will buy him." So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu'ayman brought the animales back, and told the people: "There he is!"
Suwaybit said: "I am a free man!" They said, "He has already told us all about you," and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animales and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a año afterwards.
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam). He entered the mosque and left his camello in the courtyard. Some of his Companions dicho to Nu'ayman ibn 'Amr al-Ansari, who was known as al-Nu'ayman: "If tu slaughter it, we will eat it, because we want to have some meat, and the Messenger of Allah will pay for it." So al-Nu'ayman slaughtered it. Then the Bedouin came out and saw his saddle, so he shouted, "They have slaughtered my camel, O Muhammad!" The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) came out and asked: "Who did this?" They said, "Al-Nu'ayman." So he went looking for him, and found him at the inicial of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (radhiallahu `anha), where he had hidden in a ditch and covered himself with palm branches and leaves. A man pointed to where he was and said, loudly, "I have not seen him, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) brought him out of the ditch, and his face was dirty from where the leaves had fallen on him. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) asked him, "Why did tu do that?" Al-Nu'ayman said: "The ones who told tu where I was, O Messenger of Allah, are the same ones who told me to do it." The Prophet (sallallahualayhe wa sallam) began wiping his face and laughing, then he paid the price of the slaughtered camel. [See Hayat As Sahabah, 3/154, 155]
There is no clearer indication than these and similar reports of the lightheartedness and sense of humor that islam wants its followers to have. These qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people's hearts. No one needs such characteristics más than the Muslim who seeks to call others to Islam.
Even in joking and having a good sense of humor Rasulullah has set an example for us.
It is reported that the Prophet was asked por his companions: "You are joking with us." He said, "But I never say anything but the truth." [Authentically reported in Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) used to joke, but he never dicho anything but the truth in his jokes. The Sahabah took the same approach to humor. There are many delightful reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet and the Sahabah.
Among the stories related in the libros of hadith and sirah is the reportar that the Prophet used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahabah, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with.
One día he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahabah told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow - author] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. - author. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird. - Translator. This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149]
A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) to ask him to give him a beast to ride. The Prophet jokingly told him, "I will give tu the offspring of a she-camel to ride." He said, "O Messenger of Allah , what will I do with the offspring of a she-camel?" The Prophet said: "Are riding-camels born except from she-camels?" [Reported por Imaam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, with a Sahih isnad.]
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal reported from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , and in return the Prophet would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam)loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One día the Prophet came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, "Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam), so he tried to mover closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) started to say, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah , tu will find me unsellable." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are not unsellable," o he said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are valuable."
An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise." He dicho jokingly, "O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise." The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) [Quran 56:35-36]." [Reported por al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.]
One of the ahadith that reflects the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the reportar that Imaam Ahmad gives from 'A'ishah who said: "I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead, then he dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead. He dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, 'This is for that."'
The Sahabah saw nothing wrong with joking o having fun, as they saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humor reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Imaam Bukhari reports from Bakr ibn 'Abdillah who said: "The Companions of the Prophet used to throw melon-rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men."
This is moderate, Islamically acceptable humor, which does not go beyond the bounds of truth, o lessen the gravitas o manhood of a person. Rather, it serves its purpose of refreshing hearts and minds.
An example of the Sahabah's sense of humor, which made the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) laugh, is the reportar dado por Imam Ahmad from Umm. Salamah (radhiallahu `anha). Abil Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu'ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (radhiallahu `anhuma), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of comida on the journey, and Nu'ayman dicho to him, "Feed me!" Suwaybit said, "Not until Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) comes." Nu'ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humor, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, "Will tu buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He has a big mouth, and he may tell tu that he is a free man. If that means that tu do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him." They said, "No problem, we will buy him." So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu'ayman brought the animales back, and told the people: "There he is!"
Suwaybit said: "I am a free man!" They said, "He has already told us all about you," and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animales and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a año afterwards.
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam). He entered the mosque and left his camello in the courtyard. Some of his Companions dicho to Nu'ayman ibn 'Amr al-Ansari, who was known as al-Nu'ayman: "If tu slaughter it, we will eat it, because we want to have some meat, and the Messenger of Allah will pay for it." So al-Nu'ayman slaughtered it. Then the Bedouin came out and saw his saddle, so he shouted, "They have slaughtered my camel, O Muhammad!" The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) came out and asked: "Who did this?" They said, "Al-Nu'ayman." So he went looking for him, and found him at the inicial of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (radhiallahu `anha), where he had hidden in a ditch and covered himself with palm branches and leaves. A man pointed to where he was and said, loudly, "I have not seen him, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) brought him out of the ditch, and his face was dirty from where the leaves had fallen on him. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) asked him, "Why did tu do that?" Al-Nu'ayman said: "The ones who told tu where I was, O Messenger of Allah, are the same ones who told me to do it." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) began wiping his face and laughing, then he paid the price of the slaughtered camel. [See Hayat As Sahabah, 3/154, 155]
There is no clearer indication than these and similar reports of the lightheartedness and sense of humor that islam wants its followers to have. These qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people's hearts. No one needs such characteristics más than the Muslim who seeks to call others to Islam.
Rasulullah’s ((sallallahu alayhe wa sallam / Peace be Upon Him)) Sense of Humor
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) is an example for the Muslim to follow in every aspect of life, as it is mentioned in the por Allah the almighty in the Quran
"In the Messenger of Allah is a good example for tu to follow."
[Quran Surah#33 Ayah #21].
Even in joking and having a good sense of humor Rasulullah has set an example for us.
It is reported that the Prophet was asked por his companions : "You are joking with us." He said, "But I never say anything but the truth."
[Authentically reported in Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) used to joke, but he never dicho anything but the truth in his jokes. The Sahabah took the same approach to humor. There are many delightful reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet and the Sahabah.
Among the stories related in the libros of hadith and sirah is the reportar that the Prophet used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahabah, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with.
One día he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahabah told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow - author] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. - author. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird. - Translator. This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149]
A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) to ask him to give him a beast to ride. The Prophet jokingly told him, "I will give tu the offspring of a she-camel to ride." He said, "O Messenger of Allah , what will I do with the offspring of a she-camel?" The Prophet said: "Are riding-camels born except from she-camels?" [Reported por Imaam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, with a Sahih isnad.]
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal reported from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , and in return the Prophet would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam)loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One día the Prophet came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, "Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam), so he tried to mover closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) started to say, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah , tu will find me unsellable." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are not unsellable," o he said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are valuable."
An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise." He dicho jokingly, "O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise." The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) [Quran 56:35-36]." [Reported por al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.]
One of the ahadith that reflects the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the reportar that Imaam Ahmad gives from 'A'ishah who said: "I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead, then he dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead. He dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, 'This is for that."'
The Sahabah saw nothing wrong with joking o having fun, as they saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humor reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Imaam Bukhari reports from Bakr ibn 'Abdillah who said: "The Companions of the Prophet used to throw melon-rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men."
This is moderate, Islamically acceptable humor, which does not go beyond the bounds of truth, o lessen the gravitas o manhood of a person. Rather, it serves its purpose of refreshing hearts and minds.
An example of the Sahabah's sense of humor, which made the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) laugh, is the reportar dado por Imam Ahmad from Umm. Salamah (radhiallahu `anha). Abil Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu'ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (radhiallahu `anhuma), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of comida on the journey, and Nu'ayman dicho to him, "Feed me!" Suwaybit said, "Not until Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) comes." Nu'ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humor, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, "Will tu buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He has a big mouth, and he may tell tu that he is a free man. If that means that tu do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him." They said, "No problem, we will buy him." So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu'ayman brought the animales back, and told the people: "There he is!"
Suwaybit said: "I am a free man!" They said, "He has already told us all about you," and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animales and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a año afterwards.
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam). He entered the mosque and left his camello in the courtyard. Some of his Companions dicho to Nu'ayman ibn 'Amr al-Ansari, who was known as al-Nu'ayman: "If tu slaughter it, we will eat it, because we want to have some meat, and the Messenger of Allah will pay for it." So al-Nu'ayman slaughtered it. Then the Bedouin came out and saw his saddle, so he shouted, "They have slaughtered my camel, O Muhammad!" The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) came out and asked: "Who did this?" They said, "Al-Nu'ayman." So he went looking for him, and found him at the inicial of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (radhiallahu `anha), where he had hidden in a ditch and covered himself with palm branches and leaves. A man pointed to where he was and said, loudly, "I have not seen him, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) brought him out of the ditch, and his face was dirty from where the leaves had fallen on him. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) asked him, "Why did tu do that?" Al-Nu'ayman said: "The ones who told tu where I was, O Messenger of Allah, are the same ones who told me to do it." The Prophet (sallallahualayhe wa sallam) began wiping his face and laughing, then he paid the price of the slaughtered camel. [See Hayat As Sahabah, 3/154, 155]
There is no clearer indication than these and similar reports of the lightheartedness and sense of humor that islam wants its followers to have. These qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people's hearts. No one needs such characteristics más than the Muslim who seeks to call others to Islam.
Even in joking and having a good sense of humor Rasulullah has set an example for us.
It is reported that the Prophet was asked por his companions: "You are joking with us." He said, "But I never say anything but the truth." [Authentically reported in Sahih Bukhari]
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) used to joke, but he never dicho anything but the truth in his jokes. The Sahabah took the same approach to humor. There are many delightful reports about the jokes exchanged between the Prophet and the Sahabah.
Among the stories related in the libros of hadith and sirah is the reportar that the Prophet used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahabah, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with.
One día he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahabah told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow - author] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. - author. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird. - Translator. This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149]
A man came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) to ask him to give him a beast to ride. The Prophet jokingly told him, "I will give tu the offspring of a she-camel to ride." He said, "O Messenger of Allah , what will I do with the offspring of a she-camel?" The Prophet said: "Are riding-camels born except from she-camels?" [Reported por Imaam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi, with a Sahih isnad.]
Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal reported from Anas (radhiallahu `anhu) that there was a man from the desert people whose name was Zahir. He used to bring gifts from the desert to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , and in return the Prophet would provide him with whatever he needed when he went out to fight. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Zahir is our man of the desert, and we are his town-dwellers." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam)loved him very much, and he (Zahir) was an ugly man. One día the Prophet came to him whilst he was selling some goods. He embraced him from behind. The man could not see him, so he said, "Let me go! Who is this?" Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam), so he tried to mover closer to him once he knew who it was. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) started to say, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah , tu will find me unsellable." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are not unsellable," o he said, "But in the sight of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) tu are valuable."
An old woman came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) that I will enter Paradise." He dicho jokingly, "O Mother of So-and-so, no old women will enter Paradise." The old woman went away crying, so the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) said, "Tell her that she will not enter Paradise as an old woman, for Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says: (We have created [their Companions] of special creation, and made them virgin-pure [and undefiled]) [Quran 56:35-36]." [Reported por al-Tirmidhi, it is hasan because of the existence of corroborating reports.]
One of the ahadith that reflects the Prophet's (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the reportar that Imaam Ahmad gives from 'A'ishah who said: "I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead, then he dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, I accompanied him on another journey. He told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead. He dicho to me, 'Come, let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, 'This is for that."'
The Sahabah saw nothing wrong with joking o having fun, as they saw the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) , their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humor reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Imaam Bukhari reports from Bakr ibn 'Abdillah who said: "The Companions of the Prophet used to throw melon-rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men."
This is moderate, Islamically acceptable humor, which does not go beyond the bounds of truth, o lessen the gravitas o manhood of a person. Rather, it serves its purpose of refreshing hearts and minds.
An example of the Sahabah's sense of humor, which made the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) laugh, is the reportar dado por Imam Ahmad from Umm. Salamah (radhiallahu `anha). Abil Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu'ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (radhiallahu `anhuma), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of comida on the journey, and Nu'ayman dicho to him, "Feed me!" Suwaybit said, "Not until Abu Bakr (radhiallahu `anhu) comes." Nu'ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humor, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, "Will tu buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He has a big mouth, and he may tell tu that he is a free man. If that means that tu do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him." They said, "No problem, we will buy him." So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu'ayman brought the animales back, and told the people: "There he is!"
Suwaybit said: "I am a free man!" They said, "He has already told us all about you," and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animales and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a año afterwards.
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam). He entered the mosque and left his camello in the courtyard. Some of his Companions dicho to Nu'ayman ibn 'Amr al-Ansari, who was known as al-Nu'ayman: "If tu slaughter it, we will eat it, because we want to have some meat, and the Messenger of Allah will pay for it." So al-Nu'ayman slaughtered it. Then the Bedouin came out and saw his saddle, so he shouted, "They have slaughtered my camel, O Muhammad!" The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) came out and asked: "Who did this?" They said, "Al-Nu'ayman." So he went looking for him, and found him at the inicial of Duba'ah bint al-Zubayr ibn 'Abdul Muttalib (radhiallahu `anha), where he had hidden in a ditch and covered himself with palm branches and leaves. A man pointed to where he was and said, loudly, "I have not seen him, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) brought him out of the ditch, and his face was dirty from where the leaves had fallen on him. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) asked him, "Why did tu do that?" Al-Nu'ayman said: "The ones who told tu where I was, O Messenger of Allah, are the same ones who told me to do it." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam) began wiping his face and laughing, then he paid the price of the slaughtered camel. [See Hayat As Sahabah, 3/154, 155]
There is no clearer indication than these and similar reports of the lightheartedness and sense of humor that islam wants its followers to have. These qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people's hearts. No one needs such characteristics más than the Muslim who seeks to call others to Islam.
