Is it correct for me to abandon myself to friends who mock me until my soul is tormented and abandons the trait of mockery that I possess?
It is not prescribed for a Muslim to make himself an object of ridicule, and he must avoid anything that leads to it, lest he aid Satan. This is because he is enjoined to adorn himself with virtues and avoid sources of deficiency. The Almighty's saying: ﴿وَلاَ تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ﴾ [Al-Hujurat: 11] means: do not do what you would be criticized for.
To abandon ridiculing others, one must be mindful of Allah's prohibition of it and its ugliness, and that it incurs His wrath, as in His saying: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ﴾ [Al-Hujurat: 11]. Al-Ghazali considered ridicule among the afflictions of the tongue. Its meaning is disdain, humiliation, and pointing out defects in a way that provokes laughter, which can be through imitation or gesture. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned against ridicule and considered it a sin. Thus, smiling mockingly at a believer is a minor sin, and loud laughter (in mockery) is a major one. One must seek Allah's help to abandon this habit.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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