Prophet Muhammad' Sense of Humor

In spite of his office of Prophethood, Muhammad was a very gentle and lovely person. With all the severity and seriousness of his function, his company was neither boring nor dull and uninteresting, like that of most ordinary religious leaders, but was full of pleasant and charming humour. He often smiled and joked with his companions and laughed with them.

It is reported by some companions that Muhammad used to mix with them on familiar terms, even to the extent of enjoying light jokes with them.

The companions of the Prophet Muhammad asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Do you make jokes with us?"  He replied, "Yes, I speak nothing but the Truth."

An Arabic man said that he had seen no one more pleasant and smiling than Muhammad.

Another Arabic man says, “After I accepted Islam, the prophet Muhammad never prohibited me from attending his assemblies. Whenever he saw me he smiled or laughed.”

The following are few examples that show up Muhammad's Sense of Humor

(1) An ugly old black Bedouin man was selling his merchandises in the market. The Prophet Muhammad approached him from behind and clasping his arms around the Bedouin man, challenged him to release himself from the grip.

Then the Prophet called to those who passed by, 'Who wants to buy this slave?' Laughing and still in the Prophet's grip, the Bedouin man responded, 'There is no market for me. Nobody would want to buy me,' because his old, deformed body made him unattractive.

The Prophet replied, 'But by Allah, you are priceless and invaluable.'

(2) It is narrated that a person requested Prophet Muhammad that he be given a conveyance. Prophet Muhammad replied, “The baby of a camel shall be given to you.”  The person said, “What shall I do with the baby of a camel O’ Messenger of Allah?” (I want one for a conveyance). The prophet then replied smiling, “Every camel is the baby of a camel.”

(3) A woman came to the prophet grouching about her husband. The prophet asked her, "isn't your husband the one whose eyes are white (which means in Arabic literature 'blind)?'" The woman then feared and said, "No, he is not." Then, she immediately went back to her husband and started looking at his eyes. Her husband felt strange. He asked her, "What wrong with you? Weren't you upset from me just an hour ago?"

She told him what happened with Prophet Muhammad and they realized how he solved the problem between them by re-motivating the love emotions between them in this gentle truthful way.

(4) Also, it is narrated that an old woman came to the Prophet Muhammad and made a request, “O’ Messenger of Allah make pray for me that Allah grants me entrance into Paradise.” The prophet replied, “O’ Mother, an old woman cannot enter Paradise.” That woman started crying and began to leave. The prophet then said, “Say to the woman that one will not enter in a state of old age, but Allah will make all the women of Paradise young virgins. Allah says, “Lo! We have created them a (new) creation and made them virgins, lovers, equal in age.” (Quran, verse 35-37).

(5) One of the Hadiths that reflects the Prophet's sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the tale that Aisha (the youngest Muhammad's wife) 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 said 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 said to me, 'Come, and let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won.

He began to laugh, and said, 'This is for that."'

Co-Chief Editor, October Weekly magazine, Cairo, Egypt.
Member of the Egyptian Society of Save Children.
Member of the Egyptian Society of Tourism
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