Islam & Humour

Salam sisters!

One of the subjects that has been coming up a lot in the media and in life in general is the non-existence of a sense of humour in the muslim community - a fact with which I tend to disagree.

My sense of humour didn't die the day I took my shahada, nor did I give up laughing.
Being able to laugh at yourself and at funny situations is one of the things that makes this life so enjoyable, and Muslims are not exempt from this feeling.

While the current problem lies in non-muslims making fun of subjects which are sacred to us Muslims, and therefore offending many of us, this has made it look like we Muslims have no sense of humour.

This is when a clarification needs to be made. Yes, we can laugh at ourselves. No, we don't take ourselves so seriously that we cannot take a bit of friendly banter. What does offend us, is anything that attacks, discriminates and ridicules those and that which is sacred to us.

It's the very difference between mocking and joking, between laughing at someone and laughing with someone.

Would a Jew appreciate the holocaust being made a joke out of as if it were something justified?

Would a Christian laugh at a joke about Jesus being promiscuous and violent?

Would Hindus laugh at a joke being made about the sacredness of the cow?

Would a black person laugh at a joke making slavery seen as a good thing?

Would any human being laugh at a joke made about their own mother/father?

We all know the answer to those. Then why is it so difficult for the society not to see why it is offensive  to make a joke out of Islam? My personal opinion is what I believe is the reason behind bullying as a whole. The bully is always someone insecure, and to try and make the victim feel inferior to him/her, the bully mocks its victim, it finds sensitive subjects and digs the knife a bit deeper every time.

For the world to start living in harmony with each other and for peace to spread around the world, we all have to stop feeling threatened by what is different to us. We must learn to appreciate cultural and intellectual differences, Inshallah.

I do not stand behind any of the violent retaliation some of our Muslim brothers and sisters have inflicted on the authors of some of the cruel and inappropriate jokes made about our faith and our Prophet (PBUH). Violence and hatred do not go hand in hand with the teaching of Islam, quite the opposite. However, if some thought had been put into the issue before the joke had been made, we wouldn't have had press offices blown up and people injured as a result. Yes, of course there is a freedom of speech- but by definition, freedom ends where another person's begins.

Anyway, I have gone off on one with this article, which was intended to only be about a specific funny video I found on the web about what not to do during prayer time.

It made me laugh as I recognised many of the faults I have done myself or seen others do while praying, and it made me realise that being able to laugh at your own faults is what makes these kind of jokes so funny.

And finally here is a proof that Allah too has a sense of humour

Subhanallah, there is beauty in every creation Allah has put on earth!

Until next time everyone! Inshallah.

Assalam Walaikum!