Quran Universe
9:65

وَلَئِن سَأَلۡتَهُمۡ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلۡعَبُۚ قُلۡ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمۡ تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ

Walain saaltahum layaqoolunna innama kunna nakhoodu wanalAAabu qul abiAllahi waayatihi warasoolihi kuntum tastahzioona

And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"

Word by word
  1. وَلَئِنAnd if
  2. سَأَلۡتَهُمۡyou ask them
  3. لَيَقُولُنَّsurely they will say
  4. إِنَّمَاOnly
  5. كُنَّاwe were
  6. نَخُوضُconversing
  7. وَنَلۡعَبُۚand playing
  8. قُلۡSay
  9. أَبِٱللَّهِIs it Allah
  10. وَءَايَٰتِهِۦand His Verses
  11. وَرَسُولِهِۦand His Messenger
  12. كُنتُمۡ(that) you were
  13. تَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَmocking
At-Tawbah · 9:65Madinah

We were only joking. About Allah and His verses?

Some things are not material for jokes

During Tabuk
mocking the recitershungry, lying, cowardly
caught
we were just jokingholding the camel
the reply
Allah, His verses, His Messenger ﷺ?you were mocking them
What a joke can be
just banter
mockery of the sacredit counts

Ibn Umar said that during Tabuk a man mocked the Quran reciters as hungry, lying and cowardly. When it reached the Prophet ﷺ, the man clung to the Prophet's camel saying we were only chatting and joking. The Prophet ﷺ recited: was it Allah, His verses and His Messenger you were mocking?

The meme about the beard, the hijab, the angels. The group laughs and you laugh along. Or the joke is yours. "Just a joke" does not change what was laughed at. Some things are too precious to be punchlines.

It was only a joke. No one meant anything by it.

Mocking Allah, His verses or His Messenger ﷺ is serious, even as a joke.

Try this

The next time a joke touches the sacred, do not laugh, and gently change the subject.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

If you ask them (about this), they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking (65)Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were criminals (66)

The Hypocrites rely on False, Misguided Excuses

Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "During the battle of Tabuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said, 'I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.' A man in the Masjid said, 'You lie. You are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and also a part of the Qur'an was revealed about it.'" 'Abdullah bin 'Umar said, "I have seen that man afterwards holding onto the shoulders of the Messenger's camel while stones were falling on him, declaring, 'O Allah's Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,' while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reciting,

أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

("Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking?")[9:65].'" Allah said,

لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ

(Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.) on account of your statement and mocking,

إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَائِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَائِفَةً

(If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you) for not all of you will be forgiven, some will have to taste the torment,

بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ

(because they were criminals), they were criminals because of this terrible, sinful statement.