Humour in the Ḥadīth

Abstract

This study aims to answer research questions about prophetic humour in Sunni and Shi’ite Ḥadīth, specifically, with whom the Prophet laughed, about what and how. The study demonstrates that the sources showed that the Prophet laughed with the entire community and did so indiscriminately and equally, often and in various ways, ranging between mere smiles to hearty laughs. His laughter was recorded as inclusive of individuals across distinctions of class, gender, social status, relationships and religions. This study shows eight different intents/reasons for the Prophet’s, and by extension, the Imams’ laughter in the sources: 1) mercy, leniency, forgiveness, and compassion, signalling tolerance, ease and comfort; 2) laughter and jokes instead of reprimands, to define boundaries of actions; 3) laughter with the whole community, particularly the weak and vulnerable, intending to unite members, helping them to transcend their differences and build an identity; 4) laughter and jokes to educate and entertain at the same time, as gentle lightness reaches people easier than solemn, self-righteous moralising; 5) the Prophet gave in to his jovial nature, and laughed with his community about their idiosyncrasies; 6) creating joy and alleviating sadness; 7) taking the edge off a situation and dispelling fear, especially during conflicts, battles and sieges to assuage the fear of death; 8) spiritual laughter as thanksgiving, sometimes as a prelude or as a sequel to prayer, as well as laughing with celestial beings. The study uses a multi-methodological approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis. This work makes an original contribution to the field of Humour Research by proposing a new humour theory, and especially to knowledge in the field of prophetic humour in Ḥadīth without undermining the prophetic gravitas. The study restores the Prophet’s humanity, bringing him closer to Muslims who seek to emulate his behaviour. Finally, this study shows more commonalities than differences between Sunni and Shi’ite sources and scholarship, including aḥādīth, tafsīr and some of the applications of the prophetic traditions in terms of fiqh rulings. While the details of narrations differ, the core message is the same, which can possibly bridge some of the conflict areas and narrow the gap in perception between the two main Muslim branches.