Avoiding sarcasm

 

A sarcastic attitude is quite widespread among that segment of people who live their lives far from the Qur'an. Among ignorant people, some may ridicule others' shortcomings, mistakes, physical abnormalities, clothing, lack of material possessions, carelessness, behaviour, the way they talk, and in short, almost everything about them. To make fun of someone, they use certain words and gestures or mimic certain facial expressions. For the person making fun, it is not important that he may hurt the other person's feelings, make them sad, annoyed, upset or anxious. The important thing is to feed their own pride and to humiliate the object of their ridicule.

In the Qur'an, Allah definitely forbids people ridiculing others:

You who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves; nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. And do not find fault with one another or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers. (Surat al-Hujurat: 11)

In another verse, our Lord warns, "Woe to every faultfinding backbiter" (Surat al-Humaza: 1) and warns people who behave in this ugly way; who do not live according to the teachings of the Qur'an and who do not think about the account they will render in the afterlife.

No form of ridicule is allowed among believers. Believers know that it is our Lord Who has given to everyone their wealth, beauty, intelligence, talents and other qualities. They take delight in the fine qualities they see in others and, because they seek Allah's approval and not to satisfy their own egos, they have none of the arrogance and jealousy that characterise ignorant society. For this reason believers are always tolerant, positive and modest towards one another.

At the same time believers realise that the defects they see in one another are tests from Allah. For this reason they don't call attention to these defects, but compensate for them by acting positively. They carefully avoid the slightest action, facial expression or word that would suggest ridicule.