Music & laughter in Islam

[Madhuri]

What are the verses that talk about forbidding 'excessive' laughter? How is 'excessive' defined?

 

[A-ManESL]

There is no verse in the Quran forbidding 'excessive' laughter. There is a hadith which goes like this:

Once the Prophet met a group of his companions who were conversing together laughing. He remarked, "By him who has my life in his power, if you were to know what i knew then you would laugh little and weep much." He then went away from them while they wept. Allah then sent a revelation to the Prophet , "O Muhammad, why did you cause my slaves to despair?" The Prophet returned to them and said to them, "Be happy, and compose yourselves. Try to perform good deeds."

 

[Madhuri]

Ok, so why are some Muslims saying that excessive laughter is forbidden? How does a verse like that turn into a seemingly completely different belief?

 

[A-ManESL]

There is another hadith, "Avoid much laughter because much laughter deadens the heart." This one is explicit I guess. I had heard it as a general saying and myself wasn't aware that it was a hadith until now.

 

[Madhuri]

Is there any explanation given with that verse as to why or how a lot of laughter might have this effect on one's heart?

 

[A-ManESL]

Not that I am aware of. It is however certainly not meant that one should not laugh or joke at all. There are lots of hadith of the Prophet joking and being merry with others. I would surmise that it is in context of heedless, long spells of laughter based on worldly things. Laughter of a more positive kind is even mentioned in the Quran (verse 80:38-41). According to a hadith (I am not sure about the strength) God laughs at the despondency of those whose fortune is about to change. When asked if God really laughs, the Prophet replied that He does, and the companion replied, "We will lack no good from a Lord who laughs".

Weeping can also be of a positive kind (one which annihilates the arrogance and pride of a person, and makes him more humble). This is mentioned many times in the Quran, such as in verse 17:109.

By the way just to clarify by the heart is not meant the physical heart but the spirit; the usage of the word heart for the inner spirit for the person is pretty standard in Sufi literature. Also, the word "verse" is usually used in the context of the Quran. If it is a hadith it is prose and not usually called a verse.

 

[Rational_Mind]

What are the verses that talk about forbidding 'excessive' laughter? How is 'excessive' defined?

If someone is observing you laughing and this observer feels you are crazy then that is excessive laughter.

I think it is very obvious what is excessive. It just about being civilized. It is not restriction on laughing, you can laugh but don't let it make you uncivil. When you keep behaving a certain way it becomes your character, which is why it says it will take an effect on your heart.

Hadith also instruct on not eating excessively. Now this is again like common expectation of a civil person. Excessive eating also bring other effects such as on the health, it also makes a person lazy, it also makes the person more greedy in nature wasting food in greed. It is just good manners, really straightforward.

 

[hola!]

all muslims naturally understand the ruling of music differently and in their own way or according to the islamic sect they follow. there are various views on this. some muslims say its not allowed, some don't see what the big deal is, some say no instruments are allowed, some say only islamic-related songs are okay, on and on. its all about the interpretations. it is usually the super duper conservative muslims that prefer to strongly avoid music. muslim scholars would all generally agree, however, that its specifically the music/songs containing vulgarity or obscenities, or has an offensive and negative message or content, that are islamically disapproved of. otherwise, its not a problem. proceed rocking on:jam:

neither is laughter some sort of sin :no: come on, who doesn't like to laugh and goof off every now and then? yes, a lot of us muslims appear grumpy sometimes and probably look like we've forgotten how to smile, but don't worry, we have our good days too islam, however, does disapprove of joking in the form of ridicule or mockery, especially in matters of religion, be it our religion or others. when jokes become hurtful towards other people and creates conflict, then yes, islam takes issue with that. similar to the ruling of music, islam claims that jokes should be vulgarity-free. islam has nothing against clean humor and encourages it. but according to islam, dirty humor isn't humor, just dirty. islam teaches that we are to try to maintain manners and respect at all times and all places.

...and that's that. hope i helped.

 

[Gharib]

Salam sister hope.

I have something to say in relation to your post. I don't like it at all how you label Muslims with such words as conservative (or moderate or radical etc etc). That's all anti-Islamic crap created by those who oppose Islam and to create disunity.

I would appreciate it very much if you didn't use such words. There is no conservative and moderate and what not, Islam is how it is, it's only one.