Question 1816: What recommendations are given in the narrations regarding the manner of laughing?
Answer
✅ Answer: Please refer to the following narrations:
1 عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِیَادٍ عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ کُلَیْبٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: ضَحِکُ الْمُؤْمِنِ تَبَسُّمٌ.
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 664
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The laughter of a believer is a smile!
2 عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِیمَ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِی عُمَیْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْحَلَبِیِّ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: الْقَهْقَهَةُ مِنَ الشَّیْطَانِ.
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 664
Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Loud laughter (i.e., intense and loud laughter) is from Satan!
3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ یَحْیَی عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِیِّ بْنِ الْحَکَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ طَهْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: إِذَا قَهْقَهْتَ فَقُلْ حِینَ تَفْرُغُ اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَمْقُتْنِی.
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 664
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: If you laugh out loud, when you finish, say: اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَمْقُتْنِی
which means: O Allah! Do not despise me!
4 فِي حَدِيثِ هَمَّامٍ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ في صفة المؤمن : وَ إِنْ ضَحِكَ لَمْ يَعْلُ صَوْتُهُ
📚 Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 316
In the Hadith of Hammam, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) described the believer, saying: (The believer) does not raise his voice when he laughs!
5 عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ قَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا جَفَا أَحَداً بِكَلَامِهِ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ وَ لَا رَأَيْتُهُ يُقَهْقِهُ فِي ضِحْكِهِ قَطُّ بَلْ كَانَ ضِحْكُهُ التَّبَسُّمَ الْخَبَرَ
📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (peace be upon him), vol. 2, p. 184, hadith 7
Ibrahim ibn Abbas said: I never saw Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) offend anyone with his speech... and he also said: I never saw him laugh loudly; his laughter was always a smile!
✅ 'Tabassum' in lexical books is considered the first level of 'al-dihk' and means 'smile', 'silent laughter', and 'showing the teeth at the beginning of laughter'.
'Qahqaha' refers to 'repeated loud laughter', 'intense laughter', 'loud laughter', and 'boisterous laughter'.
✅ According to the above narrations, the laughter of a believer is a smile, and loud laughter is from Satan. If someone falls into loud laughter, it is recommended to say afterwards: اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَمْقُتْنِی, which means: O Allah! Do not despise me.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر