Just Joking?

Who says ~

“I was just JOKING”?

[translated from Arabic]

1. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ”Whoever does something frequently will be known for it — Whoever JOKES will be taken lightly, and whoever LAUGHS a lot will lose his dignity.”

2. On the authority of Isa bin Abdul Aziz, that Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote to Adi bin Arta: “Forbid those under your authority from joking, for it destroys chivalry and stirs up resentment. ”-

3. Omar bin Abdul Aziz said: “Joking only comes with foolishness and/or arrogance. So refrain from jesting and joking, and your honor will be preserved.”

4. Ibn al-Munkadir said: “My mother said to me: ‘My son, do not jest with the children, for fear of becoming insignificant to them.”

5. Saeed bin Al-Aas said to his son: “My son, do not joke or jest with a noble person, for fear he will become resentful towards you, and do not joke with a lowly person, for fear he becomes emboldened against you.”

6. Salim bin Qutaybah said to his family: “Do not JOKE or JEST, for fear of being taken lightly, and do not go to the markets, lest your manners become weak.”

7. Al -Ahnaf said: “He who JOKES a lot loses his prestige, and he who laughs a lot is taken lightly.”

8. Ibn al-Mu'tazz said: "JOKING eats away respect like fire eats away firewood. "

9. Yala ibn Munya recommended three things, and he said in a long speech: “Beware of JOKING, for it takes away dignity, brings disgrace, and diminishes chivalry.”

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10. Salim bin Qutaybah said to his family: “Do not JOKE around, lest you be taken lightly, and do not go to the markets, lest your manners become weak.”

11. Al -Khattab ibn al-Mualla al-Makhzumi said: "Beware of excessive talk, laughter, JOKING, and jesting with your brothers, it diminishes your dignity and causes animosity. You should be dignified and composed, without any arrogance being attributed to you, nor any conceit being reported about you.”

12. Al- Hajjaj ibn Yusuf said to Ibn Al-Qiriyah: “Wise men have always disliked and prohibited jesting and joking around.”
13. Al-Qiriyah replied: “Joking around, from its lowest form to its highest form, has many (negative) aspects.

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   1. JOKES BEGIN with joy, but it ENDS in sorrow.

   2. JOKES are the banter of fools, like poetry is the banter of poets.

   3. JOKES stir resentment in a friend and alienates a companion.

   4. JOKES reveal secrets because it exposes flaws.

   5. JOKES lower one's dignity and reveals his immorality.

   6. JOKES rarely brings goodness, and often brings evil.

   7.  One who wins by JOKES is a vengeful enemy — 

     One who is defeated by JOKES is the avenger.

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You may be the nice person in a room,

but if you are a JOKER - you might be

THE ONLY ONE - LEFT IN THE ROOM!