Not severe, but a man of laughter and good humour

by

Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood

Some people have supposed the Prophet (pbuh) to have been a severe, austere man, but in fact he was always smiling. One companion said of him: ‘I have seen no person smiling more than the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).’ Aishah, perhaps the most beloved of his later wives, agreed. ‘He was the softest and most kind of all people,’ she stated, ‘and he was a man like you, except that he was cheerful and smiling.’

Others have claimed that the most the Prophet (pbuh) would manage was a smile, for it was undignified for him to laugh. In fact, we are told clearly that when people laughed, he laughed with them. Sometimes it was said of him that he threw back his head and laughed so completely that you could see his teeth shining like white hailstones. There are many hadiths recording how the Prophet (pbuh) laughed so heartily at something that people could see his molar teeth! For example, when his young wife Aishah argued with him about her model horses with wings, and pointed out that Solomon had such horses, she said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) laughed ‘so heartily that I could see his molar teeth.’ (Abu Dawud 2316).

During one time of drought he prayed for rain. Suddenly ‘the rain fell by Allah's permission, and before he reached his mosque streams were flowing. When he saw the speed with which the people were rushing for shelter, he (pbuh) laughed till you could see his back teeth, and said: ‘I testify that Allah is Omnipotent and that I am Allah's servant and apostle.’ (Abu Dawud 452).

Examples of many other hadiths making a point of mentioning the Prophet’s (pbuh) laughter are Bukhari 3.157; 6.466; 8.299; 9.510; and Muslim 82.

He had, in fact, a whimsical sense of humour, revealed in many of his sayings. He did indeed disapprove of silly joking when it led to loss of respect, personal jibes, embarrassment, and not taking the faith seriously. He also commented that it could show arrogance, and cause offence, spite and malice between people. Hostility sometimes began with joking. Bad language or reference to improper topics were not suitable for a Muslim. The kind the Prophet (pbuh) liked was the sort of thing that cheered people up, lifted their spirits, and calmed them down. Sufyan b. Uyayna was once asked: ‘Is joking prohibited?’ His reply was: ‘No, it is a sunnah, but it must be done appropriately.’

His humour also came through in the nicknames he gave people. For example, any lady who was called by the popular name Barrah immediately got her name changed to something else, for ‘barrah’ meant ‘good’. It was not that he could not believe any woman could be ‘good’. The Prophet (pbuh) explained that if he did not change that name he would never be able to say ‘goodbye’ to that woman, for it hurt him to bid farewell to the Good.

Other nicknames included Abu Hurayrah (‘Father of the little cat’ – so called because when he worked as a shepherd he used to keep a kitten), and Abu Turab (‘Father of dust’ – the Prophet’s (pbuh) special private name for his son-in-law Ali, who sometimes slept on his own, on the ground, and got dusty whenever he and Fatimah had a disagreement.

Anas b. Malik recorded how once when he was a child, he and his mother Umm Sulaym had been travelling in howdahs along with the Prophet’s (pbuh) wives (some of whom were quite overweight!), and they were hurried along too fast by the camel-driver Anjasha’s singing. ‘Gently, O Anjasha,’ cried the Prophet (pbuh). ‘Be careful – these camels are carrying delicate glass vessels. Don’t break them.’(Muslim 5746).

Anas was also given the nickname ‘O you with two ears’ – meaning one who paid full attention and was obedient.

One day when they were digging the defensive trench around Madinah before the Battle of al-Ahzab, the Prophet (pbuh) fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, and Abu Bakr and Umar stood guard over him keeping the labourers away so that he could sleep in peace. Zayd b. Thabit, who was just sixteen and preparing for his first experience of battle, also fell asleep. Umarah b. Hazm played a practical joke on him, stealing his clothes and tools, and hiding them. Thus Zayd earned the nickname Abu Ruqad (the ‘Sleepy One’ or ‘Father of Dreams’). Umarah simply became known as ‘the Joker’.

One of the keenest diggers was known as the ‘little beetle’, Ju’ayl b. Suraqah. His name was changed to Amr, and when one of the Companions gave rhythm to his digging with the song: ‘His name he changed, Ju’ayl to Amr, gave the poor man that day his help,’ the Prophet (pbuh) joined in – not with the singing but shouting out the words at the end of each line, which made the people laugh.

Surely it would be improper for a prophet of God to have a sense of humour? Far from it - it only seems improper to those who have not studied his life with understanding. In fact, he was not a dour pronouncer of doom except when such pronouncements were absolutely necessary - he was a man who was attractive and alive with humour, forever drawing people to the faith, not driving them away. He once said: ‘The dearest of you to me are those who have good manners; the most offensive to me are the most boring and the long-winded!’

Nothing enraged him, and he despised no-one – except those overcome by evil, who were opposed to Allah and His ways. Even so, it was not the person, but the evil that had taken hold of them that was despised. Once any such person repented and turned back to good, he or she was accepted instantly, and forgiven – both by Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). He did not take offence at anything and then take revenge on the person who offended him, unless the sacred things of Allah had been violated, in which case he would only take revenge for the sake of Allah. He certainly never made unpleasant remarks designed to hurt or spite people.

Once he caught one of his companions, Khawaat b. Jubayr, sitting amongst the womenfolk and asked him teasingly what he was doing there. Khawaat replied that he had lost his camel and was looking for it. Every time the Prophet (pbuh) saw him again after that he would ask: ‘O Abu Abdullah, has your camel given up running away from you yet?’ Eventually Khawaat declared that ‘my camel has never run away from me since I became a Muslim!’ (Tabarani).

Sometimes he used some of the current banter that was typical of the tribesmen at the time, which may appear to us, in a different place and time, to be cruel or violent. For example, he might exclaim ‘may your parents be sacrificed for you!’(usually the brief words bi abi!) Bukhari 5.385, 2.714, 1.321, 1.711, Abu Dawud 94, 2187, 2256, Muslim 11, etc. This was a common expression, also particularly used by Abu Bakr and Umm Atiyyah. Actually, Ali commented that he only ever heard the Prophet (pbuh) say it once, during the battle of Uhud (Bukhari 8.203).

Another of his sayings was that persons who had done something wrong should ‘have their mouth stuffed with dirt’, or ‘may your hand be cut off!’, and so on. These were expressions which were hardly intended to be taken literally, but typical gruff Bedouin humour. They were usually uttered fondly, not nastily. I would personally also include as examples of his gruff humour such sayings as Bukhari 1.28, 301; 2.161,541; 7.125; 9.171, and Muslim 31 and 448.

Once he made an old lady cry (probably Umm Ayman, his nanny, who had lived with him more or less the whole of his life) by teasing her that there would be no old women in Paradise. She was devastated until he explained that what he meant was that Allah would make all old people young again.

Once Umm Ayman asked him if she could have a camel. He commented that she could only have the offspring of a she-camel. Umm Ayman was hardly satisfied – and pointed out that it would not be able to bear her weight. ‘Mother,’ the Prophet (pbuh) insisted, ‘I will only mount you on the offspring of a she-camel’ At last she realised he was joking with her, for all camels were offspring of she-camels!

Qaswah was the Prophet’s (pbuh) favourite camel, with him until he died, having shared many significant moments with him – notably the hijrah, the pilgrimages, the surrender of Makkah, and the Final Pilgrimage. She was not only famous, but very fleet of foot, and was never beaten in a race until a Bedouin on a much younger camel finally succeeded. They hardly dared inform the Prophet (pbuh) of this ‘humiliation’, but knowing that all creatures slow down with old age, he merely smiled and said: ‘Allah has the right to humiliate those who rise high in the world.’

At the Battle of Khaybar the Prophet’s (pbuh) forces were assisted by Umm Sulaym who came with an orphan girl she had raised in her household as her own daughter. The Prophet (pbuh) saw the girl and teased her: ‘How can this be you? You seem to have grown younger! May you never advance in years.’ The poor girl totally misunderstood him, and Umm Sulaym found her in tears. She explained that the Prophet (pbuh) had cursed her so that she would never live to old age. Umm Sulaym rushed straightway to confront him with this outrage. He smiled and said: ‘Umm Sulaym, don’t worry. I have made a bargain with my Lord - I am only human, and am pleased or in bad temper like any other person; but I asked Allah that if I ever cursed a person who did not deserve it, then Allah would on the contrary let that be a source of purity and nearness to Him for that person, on the Day of Resurrection’. (Muslim 6297).

Sa’d bin Abu Waqqas recorded that once Umar asked leave to see the Prophet (pbuh) whilst there were some Qurayshi women talking with him and asking for more financial support. Some of the voices were raised. When Umar asked permission to enter, the women quickly screened themselves (fa badirna al-hijab). Umar went in and found the Prophet (pbuh) grinning. ‘O Allah’s Messenger!’ said Umar, ‘May Allah always keep you happy!’ The Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘I was amazed by these women here with me. As soon as they heard your voice, they quickly screened themselves.’ Umar said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! You have far more right to be feared by them.’ Then he addressed (the women) saying: ‘You enemies of yourselves! Do you fear me and not Allah’s Messenger?’ They replied: ‘Absolutely, for you are a fearful and fierce man by comparison to Allah’s Messenger!’ At that, the Prophet (pbuh) said (to Umar): ‘By Him in Whose hands is my life, when Shaytan sees you coming a certain way, he takes a different path other than yours.’ (Bukhari 4.515).

After the Farewell Pilgrimage at the Eid prayer, the Prophet (pbuh) had been teaching in the mosque, and walked past the men leaning on Bilal’s arm until he came to the rows of women who sat behind them. Bilal held out a cloth to collect their charitable contributions. The Prophet (pbuh) urged the women to be as generous we they could, for when he had been allowed a glimpse into the flames of Hell, he had noted that most of the people being tormented there were women. The women were outraged, and one of them instantly stood up boldly and demanded to know why that was so. ‘Because,’ he grated, ‘you women grumble so much, and show ingratitude to your husbands! Even if the poor fellows spent all their lives doing good things for you, you have only to be upset at the least thing and you will say, 'I have never received any good from you!’ (Buk 1.28, recorded by Ibn Abbas – who was present on that occasion as a child). At that the women began vigorously to pull off their rings and ear-rings, and throw them into Bilal’s cloth.

Even on his deathbed the Prophet (pbuh) made characteristic whimsical remarks. He had requested Abu Bakr to lead the prayers in his place, but he heard Umar’s voice and demanded an explanation. Aishah admitted she had taken it upon herself to send Umar, explaining that her father was too distressed and overcome with emotion, his voice shook, and he wept when he recited the Qur’an. Umar was more self-controlled. The Prophet (pbuh) insisted it was to be Abu Bakr, and called Aishah ‘one of the women of Joseph’ (that is, one of those who were tempted to seduce the Prophet Yusuf/Joseph (pbuh). He also used the expression ‘may your hand be cut off.’ He had only said those words fondly, but when he noticed later that Aishah kept looking at her hands he asked her what was the matter. Her method of ‘rebuking’ her husband was to tell him she was wondering which hand she would lose!

Thus it is that reading and pondering deeply on the hadiths grants enormous rewards to those who love the Prophet (pbuh). Phrases that at first sight may appear odd, or harsh or hostile suddenly bring us close to our Messenger, and we feel instead the Prophet’s love, humour and humanity.

I hope this has given food for thought. God bless you, wasalaam, Ruqaiyyah.