Did the Prophet Muhammad (saws) use humor with those around him?
Yes, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did indeed use humor with those around him, demonstrating a light-hearted side while maintaining respect and dignity. One notable instance is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari, where it is narrated: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) visiting Umm Haram bint Milhan, who used to feed him. Umm Haram was a servant of Ibn al-Samit. The Prophet entered upon her, she fed him, and rubbed his head with a leaf. He then slept and awoke laughing. I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what makes you laugh?' He said, 'Some of my Ummah were shown to me as warriors in Allah’s cause sailing the sea as kings do on the couch.' I said, 'O Messenger, pray to Allah that I be among them.' He prayed for me and laid his head down. He awoke laughing again, and I asked the same question. He answered with the same description. I said again, 'Pray I be among them.' He said, 'You will be among the first.' I traveled by sea during the time of Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. I was thrown off my mount when I came off the ship and perished.
Sahih al-Bukhari 56:7
Additionally, the Prophet's approach to humor is highlighted in a narration from Al-Kafi, where it is mentioned: I asked Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him), 'May I be sacrificed for you, if a man is with people and there is talk among them in which they joke and laugh?' He said, 'There is no harm, so long as it is not foul.' Then he added, 'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to be visited by a Bedouin who would present a gift to him. Then he would say, 'Give us the price of our gift.' The Messenger of Allah would laugh. If he felt distressed, he used to say, 'What has happened to the Bedouin? I wish he would come to us.'
Al-Kafi 4:139
These examples illustrate that humor was part of the Prophet's interactions, fostering a warm and approachable atmosphere among his companions.
Sources
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Sahih al-Bukhari 56:7
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 56, Hadith 7 · Narrated by Anas bin Malik
I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) visiting Umm Haram bint Milhan, who used to feed him. Umm Haram was a servant of Ibn al-Samit. The Prophet entered upon her, she fed him, and rubbed his head with a leaf. He then slept and awoke laughing. I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what makes you laugh?' He said, 'Some of my Ummah were shown to me as warriors in Allah’s cause sailing the sea as kings do on the couch.' I said, 'O Messenger, pray to Allah that I be among them.' He prayed for me and laid his head down. He awoke laughing again, and I asked the same question. He answered with the same description. I said again, 'Pray I be among them.' He said, 'You will be among the first.' I traveled by sea during the time of Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan. I was thrown off my mount when I came off the ship and perished.
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Al-Kafi 4:139
Al-Kafi · Book 4, Hadith 139
When this verse was revealed on the day we call every people to their Imam, the Muslims asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, are you not the Imam of all people?' He said, 'I am the Messenger of Allah to all people, but after me there will be Imams over the people from Allah from my household who will stand among the people and be denied and wronged by the Imams of disbelief and misguidance and their followers. Whoever supports them, follows them, and believes them is from me and with me and will meet me. And whoever wrongs them and denies them is not from me nor with me, and I disassociate myself from him.' — OR — I asked Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him), "May I be sacrificed for you, if a man is with people and there is talk among them in which they joke and laugh?" He said, "There is no harm, so long as it is not foul." Then he added, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) used to be visited by a Bedouin who would present a gift to him. Then he would say, 'Give us the price of our gift.' The Messenger of Allah would laugh. If he felt distressed, he used to say, 'What has happened to the Bedouin? I wish he would come to us.'" — OR — I was sitting with Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) and Najiya Abu Habib asked him. He said to him: May God make me your ransom. I have a millstone on which I grind and sometimes I rise in the nighttime hour and recognize from the millstone that the boy has slept, so I strike the wall to wake him up. He said: yes, you are in obedience to God seeking provision. — OR — He said: If a free man kills a slave, he must pay the slave’s price and be disciplined. When the slave’s value is twenty thousand dirhams, it is said that the slave’s blood money does not exceed that of a free person.
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