Sunday, August 5, 2012

Be a cheerful Muslim

Some people think by being religious, we Muslims are not allowed to be cheerful and have a sense of humor. Everything is HARAM!!! This is not true at all. In Saheeh Muslim, it says that the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Do not think little of any good deed, even if it is just meeting your brother with a cheerful countenance”

We can see the difference between this sublime society and the materialistic society. I must admit, sometimes I am too preoccupied with my gadgets in a public place. If you really are in a tight schedule once in a while, that’s fine. People can understand that, but still at least smile when you meet others. “Ala kita senyum nanti bukannya orang tu nak senyum balik. Muka nak ‘ketat’ je.” Brother let me ask you this question, do you smile all the time? If not, don’t whine about it. You smile to someone, even if that person doesn’t smile back, do it anyway. *smile*

Can Muslims tell jokes? Of course we can. Even our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to joke, but he never said anything but the truth in his jokes. There’s nothing wrong to joke with people when it is appropriate to do so, but do it without going to extremes or saying anything hurtful. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) every time he told a joke, he did so to cheer people up, unlike some of us who tells joke to humiliate others. 

One of the hadith that reflect the Prophet’s sense of humor and enjoyment of fun is the report that Ahmad gives from Aishah:

“I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender. The Prophet told the people, ‘Go on ahead,’ so they went ahead, then he said to me, ‘come, let us have a race.’ So I raced with him and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later I accompanied him to another journey. He told the people, ‘Go on ahead,’ so they went ahead, then he said to me, ‘come, let us have a race.’ So I raced with him and he won. He began to laugh and said, “this is for that”

Our Prophet (pbuh) shared his sense of humor with everybody whenever it’s appropriate. He joked with an old lady, a child and also with his wife Aishah. The Sahabat saw nothing wrong with joking or having fun, as they saw the Prophet (pbuh), their leader and teacher, occasionally doing so. The many delightful stories about their sense of humor reflect the easy-going nature of the first Islamic society, and how far removed it was from narrow-mindedness and gloom.

“The companions of the Prophet used to throw melon rinds at one another, but when the matter was serious, they were the only true men.”

All these qualities will make a person good-natured and likeable, which will enable him to win people’s hearts. These are some of the good values that Prophet Muhammad had taught us, and so it is now our duty to continue his teachings for the sake of Allah. Together we strive to be a better Muslim day by day.

Khairul

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