The Islamic Take On Ridiculing Others

Keeping the  infamous impression of Islam as a religion of terrorists aside, the general notion about Islam is that it is a religion that focuses on Oneness of Allah, the followers of which offer prayers five times a day, keep fast in the month of Ramadan, give charity in the form of Zakah and perform pilgrimage of Makkah once every year. To the non-Muslims and the Muslims who have little knowledge of their religion, this is all of Islam. What people don’t understand is that Islam is a complete code of life and the human factor has great importance in this code that Islam brings.

The human side of Islam comprises of all the rules of ethics and civics that make a society prosperous in a way that every member of it gets to enjoy equal rights and respect in the society. In this regard, Islam has put great stress on its followers to ensure that they respect other members of the society and take care of the repute of each other. The lines below discuss the way Islam forbids its followers from ridiculing other fellows and making sure that they are given the respect they deserve as humans.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was once asked:

“Who out of the Muslims is the best?”

He replied:

“Those whom the other Muslims are safe from his tongue and hands.” (Sahih)

From this hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) it is evident that being the best Muslim does not mean only offering prayer and being charitable or performing Hajj multiple times, rather being a best Muslim involves keeping others safe from the effects of one’s hands and tongues. To people of today not harming others with their hands seems understandable, but keeping them safe from the effects of their tongue seems hard to comprehend. This is the beauty of Islam. The ridicule which most people take so trivial and casual can hurt and does hurt people which Islam is aware of and forbids its followers to make effective use of their tongue.

Pertaining to ridiculing other people and its forbiddance, Allah Almighty says in Quran:

“O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (Indeed) doing wrong.”  (49:11)

This ayah gives the comprehensive detail of the way a Muslim is to treat other people in terms of inter-personal interaction. The acts that are condemned in this ayah pertaining to ridiculing others are:

• Firstly a Muslim must never laugh at others because the chances are that the other people would be better than the one who laughs. As humans we are fallable, we all have our weakness and innate flaws, therefore, there is no reason that one should laugh at others for their mistakes or their flaws. Moreover, if someone is weak in one aspect of his or her personality there is an equal chance of him or her being better in some other part which could be the weakness of the one laughing. Therefore, there is no reason a Muslim should laugh at others whether male or female.
• Secondly, a Muslim should neither defame another person nor be sarcastic to the person. Both these acts are what ruin the personality and confidence of another person. If one is slandering or spreading rumors about another person, it harms the reputation of that person and if one is being sarcastic to him or her it results in hurting the feeling of that person which might cause him or her to think inferior of themselves.
• Third, and perhaps most commonly practiced acts of ridiculing that Islam forbids is calling others by nick names that have negative or wicked connotations. It is one of the most common things that even the kids in schools do to other kids, which results in demolishing the personality or character of the person who is given a bad nickname. Thus, a Muslim must avoid from associating any such nickname to a person and ensure calling them with good names.

The aforementioned ayah and hadith establish the extent of condemnation that Islam has put upon ridiculing others, if that does not serve enough to jolt the conscious of a person, then Islam gives punishments for those who defy against these condemnations of Allah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in a hadith:

“Verily a person will speak words from those that Allah hates, paying no heed to what he is saying, and with those words he will plummet in to hellfire.” (Bukhari)

The above discussion establishes the fact that all the words that are targeted towards ridiculing others are the ones which are disliked by Allah and every Muslim should refrain from them, however, if there is someone who is arrogant enough to refrain from them despite the condemnation, then for such pa person the punishment of hellfire awaits and these words of his or her will be what will take them there.

For such people at another place in Quran Allah Almighty says:

“Those who criticize the contributors among the believers concerning their charities and (criticize) the ones who find nothing (to spend) except their effort, so they ridicule them – Allah will ridicule them, and they will have a painful punishment.” (9:79)

This ayah of Quran makes it clear that those who ridicule others for the good work they or the good effort they put in because of their being unable to financially contribute, such people will receive ridicule from Allah and He will avenge all those who have been harmed by the ridicule of such people by giving the inflictors painful punishment, most probably in the form of hell in the afterlife and occassions of misery in this life as well.

Conclusion:

In short, ridiculing others whether it is by laughing at them, by means of sarcasm, or by calling them with wicked nicknames is abhorred by Allah Almighty and those who do so whilst knowing that it is not liked by Allah, defy Him and for them the reward of it is nothing but punishment. Therefore, a Muslim must revive and maintain this spirit of Islam as well and refrain from ridiculing other people no matter who they are.