By Asma bint Shameem
Today I'm going to talk about April Fool's Day.
Not about its history, or its origin, or who fooled who.
It doesn't really matter.
What matters is what goes on this day, and how wrong it is, not only from the point of view of our Deen but also morally, and psychologically.
So what happens this day?
People play practical jokes on someone and pull pranks this day so that they can get a good laugh.
They spend time and think of innovative ways to 'fool' someone or 'trick' them, each trying to outdo the other, so that they can come up with a better trick or a funnier joke or a smarter bluff, by lying to them, or deceiving them or scaring them or inconveniencing them in some way.
HOW IS IT WRONG?
They Laugh AT someone
Let me ask you this;
Is it really 'funny' that you made someone a laughing stock?
Sure, the joke's really funny as long as YOU are not the one being laughed at!
Is it really right that someone is picked on and made a 'fool' by others who 'think' they're smarter than them and so they can trick them?
Isn't that what BULLYING is all about??!
Remember bullying is not just about 'lunch money'.
Bullying is about power.
It's about someone who feels the need to make themselves feel powerful by making someone else feel weak and powerless.
If you think about it, the vast majority of practical jokes are in reality, bullying;
the exercise of power of one person over another.
Even the crude, basic ‘jokes’ like the whoopee cushion are about someone reducing another person to a figure of fun, to be jeered at.
They're often about the humiliation of the victim.
Practical jokes tell the victim: you're not as smart as the rest of us or you'd never have fallen for it.
They tell them you're stupid and gullible and worthless.
And if you get upset about it, you're still stupid because you don't have a 'sense of humor' and 'you take yourself too seriously'.
Subhaan Allaah! How can such behaviors be justified?!
From a psychological perspective, practical joking is, in reality, a way of getting away with bullying another person to bolster a very low, undernourished self esteem by making someone else feel small.
And the effects of such psychological trauma can last for a very, very long time.
And what does our Deen say about it?
Allaah tells us it's absolutely WRONG and a sin.
Allaah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
"O you who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the latter are better than the former: Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the latter are better than the former: Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers)." (Surah Hujaraat:11)
Here Allaah is clearly telling us, ORDERING us NOT to laugh at people, not to make fun of them, not to humiliate them in any possible way.
Yet playing April Fool jokes on someone is doing EXACTLY what Allaah is commanding us NOT to do.
It involves humiliation and degradation
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)
As Muslims, we're supposed to LOVE one another and love for them what we love for ourselves.
Yet, if we play jokes on someone, or trick them or laugh at them, how do you suppose that makes them feel?
Is this what we would want for ourselves?
Just because they didn't say anything doesn't mean, they didn't feel hurt or embarrassed or degraded or humiliated.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another." (Jaami' al-Tirmidhi- hasan)
How can we love one another and yet play mean jokes and poke fun at him at the same time?
In reality, these April Fool jokes are not funny at all.
They're sick, childish and immature.
Just because people are laughing doesn't mean it's funny.
Always remember: if your goal is to get people to laugh at someone else, and that someone else is not you, you are practicing humiliation.
It involves LYING and DECEIVING
Some tricks on April Fool's Day involve lying and deceiving the 'victim' to believe things that are not true.
And once they fall for it, everyone else has good laugh.
We forget that lying is a MAJOR SIN.
In fact, lying is so bad we can't lie EVEN IN A JOKE! The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam CURSED such a person.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Woe to the one who tells lies to make people laugh, woe to him." (Abu Dawood-saheeh by Albaani).
And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Whoever deceives is not from me." (Muslim)
Abu Bakr radhi Allaahu anhu said:
"O people, beware of lying, for lying is contrary to faith."(Ahmad)
And Ibn Mas'ood radhi Allaahu anhu said:
"Lying is never appropriate in earnest or in jest.
Then he recited the words of Allaah:
"Fear Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)." [at-Tawbah 9:119]. Then he said:
Do you find any concession allowing that to anyone?”
(Ibn Abi Shaybah)
And yet for a few seconds of petty laughter, we lie to someone and fool them.
How far we are from the beautiful instructions of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam!
He said:
"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him [when he needs him]. He does not lie to him. And he does not show contempt for him. Piety is here" and he pointed to his chest three times. "It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor."
(Muslim)
It causes harm and inconvenience
Whether it is turning off the water line or wrapping cellophane over the toilet bowl, or taking the air out of all their tires, April Fool jokes cause harm and inconvenience to others which is absolutely contradictory to what our Deen teaches us, even if it's in a joke.
Our deen encourages us to HELP our brother and make things EASY for them, NOT make things difficult.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allaah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allaah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection."
(al-Bukhaari)
And he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Allaah will aid a servant (of His) so long as the servant aids his brother."
(Muslim)
How can we read the above ahaadeeth and not take heed?
If Allaah will aid us, as long as we're helping our brother or sister, them what about if we're doing the OPPOSITE by making things difficult for them or causing them inconvenience?
Is April Fool really worth it?
Why, we can t even TALK about our brother behind his back in a manner that he doesn't like or else it counts as BACKBITING, a MAJOR SIN! Then, what about DOING things that he doesn't like?
It involves Scaring someone
Sometimes April Fool's tricks involve scaring someone in some way or frightening them by pointing weapons at them, turning off the power, making scary noises, etc.
Again, it's wrong, immoral and NOT appropriate from any angle.
One time, the Sahaabah were traveling somewhere with the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and one of them fell asleep.
Some of the other companions got a rope and tied him up, and he got scared.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim.'"
(Abu Dawood - saheeh).
Someone who scares a Muslim even in a joke by pointing a weapon at him is CURSED and doing something that's haraam.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"He who pointed a weapon towards his brother the angels invoke curse upon him even if he is his real brother so long as he does not abandon it" (the pointing of weapon towards one's brother." (Muslim)
Life is not all about 'living it up' and having 'fun' all the time
Yes it's allowed to laugh and have fun but not only should everything be in moderation, but to laugh AT someone, was and never will be okay.
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Do not laugh too much, for laughing too much deadens the heart."
(Saheeh al-Jaami')
And Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas said:
"Set a limit to your jokes, for going to extremes makes you lose respect and incites the foolish against you."
Just Don't Do it!
Don't go along if someone asks you to join them in fooling someone.
If we go along with them and assist them in this evil, then we're equally sinful. So try and stop them and explain why it's wrong.
Allaah says:
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment." (al-Ma'idah:2)
The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
"Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart - and that is the weakest of faith." (Muslim)
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, Islaam is a comprehensive religion. Its teachings touch upon all aspects of life. Islaam, therefore, goes well beyond articles of faith and ritual acts of worship.
All of our behavior, manners, ethics and practices must reflect our belief in this religion.
And that includes not hurting, humiliating, bullying, scaring, mocking or inconveniencing anybody, be it Muslim or non-Muslim.
And it doesn't matter whether it's April 1st or any other day.
May Allaah give us the ability to TRULY understand this beautiful perfect Deen and enable us to implement it in our PRACTICAL lives. Ameen.
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