What Is the Ruling on Mocking People and Their Worldly Affairs?
ما حكم من يستهزئ بالأشخاص وأفعالهم الدنيوية؟
What is the ruling for someone who mocks people and their worldly actions?
The answer rules that mocking people and their worldly actions is fisq, sinful transgression, citing Al-Hujurat 49:11: let not a people mock another people; perhaps they are better than them, and how evil is the name of disobedience after faith.
While mocking the religion takes a person out of the fold of Islam, mocking individuals for their worldly matters is a major sin that destroys social harmony and stains the perpetrator's faith.
The Islamic Ruling
He who mocks people and their worldly actions is considered a sinful transgressor (Fasiq).
The Quranic Evidence
Allah Almighty explicitly commands believers to avoid ridiculing others:
(O believers! Do not let some men ridicule others, they may be better than them, nor let some women ridicule other women, they may be better than them. Do not defame one another, nor call each other by offensive nicknames. How evil it is to act rebelliously after having faith! And whoever does not repent, it is they who are the true wrongdoers.) Surah Al Hujurat 49: 11.
ما حكم من يستهزئ بالأشخاص وأفعالهم الدنيوية؟
يبين الجواب أن الاستهزاء بالأشخاص وأفعالهم الدنيوية فسق، ويستدل بآية الحجرات 49:11: لا يسخر قوم من قوم عسى أن يكونوا خيرا منهم، بئس الاسم الفسوق بعد الإيمان.
في حين أن الاستهزاء بالدين يخرج الإنسان من ملة الإسلام، فإن السخرية من الأفراد في أمورهم الدنيوية تعد من كبائر الذنوب التي تدمر الوئام الاجتماعي وتلطخ إيمان مرتكبها.
الحكم الشرعي
من يستهزئ بالأشخاص وأفعالهم الدنيوية فهذا يعتبر فسقا.
الدليل القرآني
قال الله تعالى: (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 فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ﴿١١﴾) الحجرات 49: 11.
1. Evil Is the Name of Disobedience After Faith | بئس الاسم الفسوق بعد الإيمان
The verse ends: How evil is the name of disobedience after faith, and whoever does not repent, those are the wrongdoers (Al-Hujurat 49:11). Ibn Kathir explains: how evil a description and a name is disobedience, after you have entered Islam and understood it, and whoever does not repent from this, those are the wrongdoers. This is why the answer calls the mocker of people a fasiq.
ختمت الآية بقوله تعالى: بئس الاسم الفسوق بعد الإيمان ومن لم يتب فأولئك هم الظالمون (الحجرات 49:11). قال ابن كثير: "أي: بئس الصفة والاسم الفسوق... بعدما دخلتم في الإسلام وعقلتموه، (ومن لم يتب) أي: من هذا (فأولئك هم الظالمون)". ولهذا وصف الجواب المستهزئ بالناس بالفسق.
2. Offensive Nicknames | التنابز بالألقاب
Abu Jubayra ibn al-Dahhak said the verse was revealed about his people, Banu Salama: when the Prophet came to Madinah, every man among them had two or three names, and when he called one of them by such a name, they would say: O Messenger of Allah, he gets angry at this name; so Allah revealed: and do not call one another by offensive nicknames (Sunan Abi Dawud 4962, graded sahih by al-Albani). Ibn Kathir explains these as names a person hates to hear.
قال أبو جبيرة بن الضحاك: فينا نزلت في بني سلمة: (ولا تنابزوا بالألقاب)، قدم علينا رسول الله ﷺ وليس منا رجل إلا وله اسمان أو ثلاثة، فجعل النبي ﷺ يقول: "يا فلان"، فيقولون: مه يا رسول الله، إنه يغضب من هذا الاسم، فأنزلت هذه الآية (سنن أبي داود 4962، وصححه الألباني). وفسر ابن كثير الألقاب بأنها التي يسوء الشخص سماعها.
3. The Measure Is Piety, Not Appearance | الميزان التقوى
The Prophet said: It is enough evil for a person to look down on his Muslim brother; all of a Muslim is sacred to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth, and his honor (Sahih Muslim 2564). Allah says: the most honored of you with Allah is the most pious of you (Al-Hujurat 49:13), so mocking a person's looks, wealth, or lawful work measures him by the wrong scale.
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ (سورة الحجرات: 13)
قال النبي ﷺ: "بحسب امرئ من الشر أن يحقر أخاه المسلم، كل المسلم على المسلم حرام: دمه وماله وعرضه" (صحيح مسلم 2564). وقال الله تعالى: إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم (الحجرات 49:13)، فالسخرية من صورة الإنسان أو ماله أو عمله المباح وزن له بغير الميزان الصحيح.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What is the ruling on mocking people's worldly actions?
The answer rules that it is fisq, sinful transgression. Allah forbids it and says: how evil is the name of disobedience after faith (Al-Hujurat 49:11).
Why does the verse mention women separately?
Ibn Kathir notes that the verse states the prohibition for men and then adds it for women, so that it clearly covers both.
What should a person do if they mocked someone?
Repent. The verse ends: whoever does not repent, those are the wrongdoers (Al-Hujurat 49:11), and Ibn Kathir explains this as repenting from this very sin.
Is calling someone by a nickname he dislikes forbidden?
Yes. The verse forbids offensive nicknames; it was revealed about men who were called by names they disliked (Sunan Abi Dawud 4962), and Ibn Kathir explains them as names a person hates to hear.