Stories of the Prophet’s Laughter with His Community
Numerous narrations highlight the kind and joyful nature of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) while interacting with his community. Among the notable stories are:
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was speaking, and there was a man from the desert nearby. The man mentioned that a person from Paradise asked his Lord for permission to plant crops. The Lord replied, “Aren’t you in what you desire?” to which the man replied, “Indeed, but I love to cultivate.” The man hurried to plant, and as he did, his crops grew swiftly—germinating, maturing, and being harvested, resembling mountains. Allah then said, “Take it, O son of Adam, for nothing will satisfy you.” The desert man remarked, “O Messenger of Allah, you will find this only with a Quraishi or an Ansari, for they are the people of agriculture. As for us, we are not farmers.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed.
- Another narration by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) tells of a Bedouin who entered the mosque while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was seated. The Bedouin prayed, “O Allah, forgive me and Muhammad, and do not forgive anyone else with us.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed and said, “You have encompassed a vast request.” Later, the Bedouin went to a corner of the mosque and began to urinate. The Prophet (peace be upon him) approached him, saying, “This place was built for the remembrance of Allah and for prayer; it should not be urinated in.” He then called for a container of water and poured it over the area, explaining that the Prophet (peace be upon him) approached him kindly without cursing, reproaching, or striking him.
Stories of the Prophet’s Laughter with His Companions
There are many narrations recounting the Prophet’s joyful interactions with his companions. Some of these include:
- Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I know the last person to enter Paradise and the last person to exit Hell. A man will be brought forth on the Day of Judgment and told, ‘Present his minor sins and overlook his major ones.’ His minor sins will be presented, and he will acknowledge them, saying, ‘Yes,’ unable to deny them, while fearing that his major sins will also be displayed. He will then be told, ‘For each sin, you will find a good deed.’ He will respond, ‘O Lord, I have committed deeds that I do not see here.’ Indeed, I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) laugh until his molars were visible.”
- Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (may Allah be pleased with him) shared that the Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed, and when asked what amused him, he replied, “I was astonished by a group led in chains to Paradise.”
Stories of the Prophet’s Laughter with His Wives
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also shared many light-hearted moments with his wives, as illustrated by the following narration:
- Aisha, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), recounted: “While traveling with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as a young girl—before I had gained weight—he told his companions to go ahead. Then he said, ‘Come, let’s race.’ I raced him and won. Later, after I gained weight, I traveled with him again, and he again instructed his companions to proceed. When he suggested another race, I thought, ‘How can I compete with you now, O Messenger of Allah?’ He insisted, ‘You must do it!’ I raced him, and he won, laughing and declaring, ‘This victory compensates for that earlier one.’
The Nature of the Prophet’s Laughter
The companions described the Prophet’s demeanor in various situations, noting in particular the nature of his laughter. They observed that he would engage with those around him, laughing gently, and that his laughter was primarily a smile. Abdullah ibn Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) only laughed in a smile.”