المعنى الاصطلاحي

Talking loosely with others out of kindness and affection without insulting or demeaning them.

الشرح المختصر

"Muzāh" (humor) which abides by Shariah bounds is one of the noble manners in Islam. It strengthens the ties between people and acts as a kind of entertainment. Also, it helps one overcome loneliness and boredom, and brings about happiness. There are certain conditions for the Shariah-approved "muzāh". They are: 1. It should not include any mockery of religion, such as making fun of the beard or Hijab, shortening one's dress, or the like. 2. It must not contain lies. 3. It should not contain what frightens people or threatens them with weapons or the like. 4. It must not include something forbidden, such as mockery, backbiting, or the like. 5. It should not be used frequently or all the time; rather, it has to be as little as salt in the food. This is because using humor frequently and beyond its proper limits negatively affects one's sense of honor and solemnity. Humor serves as a break and concession required for one to continue worshiping Allah actively and diligently. The forbidden humor is that which is excessive and frequent. It causes one’s heart to become hard and distracts one from remembering Allah the Almighty and from focusing on the important issues of religion. It usually leads to harm, creates ill-feelings, and makes one lose self-respect and solemnity.

التعريف اللغوي المختصر

"Muzāh": joking, speaking in a friendly manner. Opposite: "jidd" (seriousness). Original meaning: making others laugh and joking with them. It is derived from ""izāhah" which means putting aside, because in "muzāh" one sets seriousness aside.

التعريف

To talk humorously to others for amusement and pleasure, without any irritation.