Is satire and satrical and commical talk allowed in Islam?

As'salamu Alaikum Mark,

Welcome to the blog. May Allah Almighty further lead you to Islam. Ameen.

Regarding لغو (laghu), it means rubbish talk, or nonsense, or talk that is made of bad things, or vain. See Noble Verses 19:62, 23:3, 25:72, 28:55, 31:6-7, 56:25, 78:35.

From www.answering-christianity.com/quran_moral_code.htm:

When you hear rubbish talk, or nonsense, or talk that is made of bad things, or vain, don't stay and listen to it. Pass by it (‏والذين لايشهدون الزور واذا مروا باللغو مروا كراما). Nonsense, vain and nonsensical talk are forbidden.

[023:003] Who avoid vain talk; والذين هم عن اللغو معرضون

[028:055]  And when they hear vain talk, they turn away therefrom and say: "To us our deeds, and to you yours; peace be to you: we seek not the ignorant. سلام عليكم لانبتغي الجاهلين"

واذا سمعوا اللغو اعرضوا عنه وقالوا لنا اعمالنا ولكم اعمالكم سلام عليكم لانبتغي الجاهلين

Again, see Noble Verses 19:62, 23:3, 25:72, 28:55, 31:6-7, 56:25, 78:35.

No Laghu in Heaven:

This does not include the Glorious Quran, for the Glorious Quran contains no laghu in It. The Noble Verses are talking about the inhabitants of Heaven and their regular conversations:

[078:035]  No vanity shall they hear therein, nor Untruth:-

[056:025]  Not frivolity will they hear therein, nor any taint of ill,-

[019:062]  They will not there hear any vain discourse, but only salutations of Peace: And they will have therein their sustenance, morning and evening.

Again, see the Noble Verses and link above.

Comedy Talk:

It depends on the words and the talk. If it's satire kind of talk that is not ill, and it reflects the bad things about a current situation, then it is ok. If it's harmful and/or trash talk and jokes on people, or cheap words that have no value, or words of blasphemy against Allah Almighty and Islam, then it is forbidden:

[031:006]  But there are, among men, those who purchase idle tales لهو الحديث, without knowledge (or meaning), to mislead (men) from the Path of God and throw ridicule (on the Path) ليضل عن سبيل الله بغير علم: for such there will be a Humiliating Penalty.

[031:007]  When Our Signs are rehearsed to such a one, he turns away in arrogance, as if he heard them not, as if there were deafness in both his ears: announce to him a grievous Penalty.

‏31:6 ومن الناس من يشتري لهو الحديث ليضل عن سبيل الله بغير علم ويتخذها هزوا اولئك لهم عذاب مهين
‏31:7 واذا تتلى عليه اياتنا ولى مستكبرا كان لم يسمعها كان في اذنيه وقرا فبشره بعذاب اليم

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to joke sometimes:

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: "The Prophet used to invoke Allah, saying, "Allahumma ighfirli khati'ati wa jahli wa israfi fi amri, wa ma anta a-'lamu bihi minni. Allahumma ighfirli hazali wa jiddi wa khata'i wa amdi, wa kullu dhalika 'indi"

WHICH READS IN ENGLISH AS:

"O Allah! Forgive my mistakes and my ignorance and my exceeding the limit (boundaries) of righteousness in my deeds; and forgive whatever You know better than I. O Allah! Forgive the wrong I have done jokingly or seriously, and forgive my accidental and intentional errors, all that is present in me."  (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 408))

The Prophet used the word HAZAL (satire, comic). That's what satire today means in Arabic:

https://translate.google.com/#ar/en/هزل
https://translate.google.com/#ar/en/هزلي

Please also visit:

www.answering-christianity.com/warning.htm

Take care,
Osama Abdallah

Also visit:

Were the rubbish talk and and rubbish music of today prophesied in the Glorious Quran?

The Glorious Quran's Prophecies about satan and his evil are indeed amazing. It is clear that satan's temptations and control over the evil ones from mankind will include:

1- Alteration of Allah Almighty's creations through cloning and making fundamental changes to Allah Almighty's creations. Transgenders topic is also covered here.

2- Mass brainwashing to mankind through satan's voice through:

Corrupt and rubbish talk.

Corrupt and rubbish music.

Broken languages and words.

Broken manners and standards in how to talk.

3- Dominating and controlling mankind militarily and through power and might.

4- Share and control mankind's wealth.

5- Make false promises to mankind. His heaven will lead to Hell, and his hell will lead to Heaven.

Again, Allah Almighty Said:

[017:064] "Lead to destruction those whom thou canst among them, (1) with thy (seductive) voice; (2) make assaults on them with thy cavalry and thy infantry; (3) mutually share with them wealth and children; and (4) make promises to them." But Satan promises them nothing but deceit.

Satan's threat is real! We have to guard ourselves from him and turn to Allah Almighty in repentance and submission. Indeed, all Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty alone for making the Noble Quran be the Perfect and Everlasting Miracle, for us humans, out of all of His Divine Miracles! And may Allah Almighty send His Peace, Mercy and Blessings upon our Beloved and Blessed Prophet, Teacher and Role Model, Muhammad. Ameen.