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What is the ruling on sheikhs telling jokes to make listeners laugh, given the existence of Hadith that prohibit such actions?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Telling jokes to make listeners laugh is permissible within the bounds of Islamic etiquette. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to joke and speak the truth. An example of this is his jest with the old woman who asked him about entering Paradise. However, one must avoid lying in jokes, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, warned against those who lie to make people laugh. It is also necessary to avoid mockery, ridicule of others, and backbiting, as Allah Almighty says: "O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people" and "and do not backbite each other." If a person adheres to these controls and does not overdo it, then there is no blame upon him.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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