Good
Humour

You know

it's hard to imagine life without laughter,

yet so often it seems that Islam is represented

by a group of men who are strangers to so much as a smile.

Yet the Messenger was known as the most laughing and smiling of men,

and surely that is the example we should look to if we wish to live a muslim way of life.

Humans learn to laugh before they can speak,

and as we grow we find reasons to laugh,

not just because we feel good

but also to make us feel good.

We have clowns and comedians to help us with this,

and we laugh at their imitations of accidents.

When they slip on banana skins they remind us

of all those common and possible pains

that we ourselves could be feeling but actually aren't.

And with that laughter we feel a release of tension

and relief from our underlying fears

of all the things that can bring pain to our human condition.

So clowns have always been given a privileged position in society,

to the extent that kings would have their fools allowed within the guard of the king

and allowed to say what others would fear to speak,

to remind him of his humanity.

The fact that we can laugh at the world and face it with good humour

doesn't mean that we don't see the world with all it's tragedy and pain.

We can cry from laughter, and those tears show the link between laughter,

those tears of joy,

and the tears of pain and sorrow,

and the tears of both are a release of tension,

a relaxant, and therefore healing.

And with that laughter springing from joy, good is carried through the body.

But as with everything in the muslim way of life,

this behaviour needs to be restrained if it is not to harm us.

Laughter to excess leaves the body helpless,

vulnerable from being out of control.

So humour can be misused, causing damage to ourselves and others,

and this has to be avoided.

The Messenger was known to joke, but he didn't tell lies,

which means that we have to examine those types of humour that rely on

misrepresentation

such as irony.

We have to consider whether such humour is meant to deceive,

or whether the context makes it clear that any misrepresentation

is strictly for the purposes of humour

and as such for spreading joy to humanity.

Clearly each situation has to be judged by its intention.

There are times when deception is acceptable

and accepted by those who are deceived,

as with the exploits of stage magicians,

times when we enjoy being deceived

because it enables us to enjoy the magic of a conjurer

doing what seems impossible and inexplicable.

Similarly there are times when we enjoy a comedian

leading us down one path

only to suddenly switch

and delight us with the magic of the unexpected.

But there are also ways that we use humour

for purposes that more obviously spring from bad intentions,

humour that is used specifically to cause pain to others,

such as when we deal with our feelings of personal inadequacy by using laughter for the bullying,

belittling, humiliation and mockery

of those we like to think are inferior to ourselves.

Such actions may share the characteristics of humour,

but their intention places them outside the Deen.

Real good humour relies on gratitude to God for what we have

and where we are right now,

remembering how much worse things could be.

It comes from knowing that God has the power to change things,

needing no more than to say "Be" and something is.

Facing the world and the future with good humour

relies on trusting in God to take care of future events for us,

knowing that whatever we earn is from God's provision,

and that whatever trials we are sent can be overcome with God's help.

Good humour helps us to face abuse and persecution,

deflecting the pain,

rolling with the punches

and facing our enemies with forgiveness.

We need to face the tragedies of this world with equanimity

and balance our suffering with with good humour,

remembering there was always a tear in the eye of the Messenger,

the most laughing and smiling of men.