Quran Universe
9:66

لَا تَعۡتَذِرُواْ قَدۡ كَفَرۡتُم بَعۡدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمۡۚ إِن نَّعۡفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٖ مِّنكُمۡ نُعَذِّبۡ طَآئِفَةَۢ بِأَنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ

La taAAtathiroo qad kafartum baAAda eemanikum in naAAfu AAan taifatin minkum nuAAaththib taifatan biannahum kanoo mujrimeena

Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.

Word by word
  1. لَا(Do) not
  2. تَعۡتَذِرُواْmake excuse
  3. قَدۡverily
  4. كَفَرۡتُمyou have disbelieved
  5. بَعۡدَafter
  6. إِيمَٰنِكُمۡۚyour belief
  7. إِنIf
  8. نَّعۡفُWe pardon
  9. عَن[on]
  10. طَآئِفَةٖa party
  11. مِّنكُمۡof you
  12. نُعَذِّبۡWe will punish
  13. طَآئِفَةَۢa party
  14. بِأَنَّهُمۡbecause they
  15. كَانُواْwere
  16. مُجۡرِمِينَcriminals
At-Tawbah · 9:66Madinah

Some jokes are not just jokes.

When the excuse comes after the mockery

What happened at Tabuk
the mockeryabout the recitersabout Allah's signs
then
the excuse"we were only joking"
answered by
make no excusethe words already spoke
What decides the weight
it was just banterno harm meant
what was mockedthe target gives it weight

During the campaign of Tabuk, a man in a gathering mocked the Quran reciters as greedy, lying, and cowardly. When it reached the Prophet ﷺ, the man ran to him saying we were only talking idly and joking. The reply was this verse: make no excuse.

The group chat where someone posts a meme mocking the prayer, or the people who keep it. You add a laughing emoji because everyone else did. Later, if asked, you would say it was only a joke. The verse says the laugh itself was a choice.

If I was joking, it does not really count.

Mocking what is sacred counts, whatever tone I used.

Try this

Next time a joke about faith comes up, simply do not join it. Silence is enough.

Related9:65
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:65)

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.