Chapter: His playful humor and his noble, gentle character

Mubārak ibn Faḍālah narrated—from Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Muzanī—from Ibn ʿUmar—who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I do joke, yet I never utter anything but the truth.” Its chain is close to ḥasan (fair).

Abū Ḥafṣ ibn Shāhīn said: ʿUthmān ibn Jaʿfar al-Kūfī related to us—ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥusayn reported to us—Ādam ibn Abī Iyās narrated to us—al-Layth, from Ibn ʿAjlān, from al-Maqburī, from Abū Hurayrah: It was said, “Messenger of Allah, you joke with us!” He replied, “I only speak the truth.”

Abū Maʿshar also transmitted it from al-Maqburī, and the report is ṣaḥīḥ (sound).

Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār said: Ḥamzah ibn ʿUtbah related to me—from Nāfiʿ ibn ʿUmar—from Ibn Abī Mulaykah—from ʿĀʾishah: She once made a playful remark in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “It is but some of the banter typical of this clan of Banū Kinānah.” The Messenger of Allah replied, “Rather, it is some of the joking of this clan of Quraysh.” Ḥamzah is unknown to me, and the text itself is objectionable.

Zayd ibn Abī al-Zarqāʾ narrated—from Ibn Luhayʿah—from ʿUmārah ibn Ghaziyyah—from Isḥāq ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Ṭalḥah—from Anas: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most cheerful of people.” Ibn Luhayʿah is the sole narrator of this, and his weakness is well known.

Another chain through Ibn Luhayʿah states: “The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most cheerful of people when dealing with children.”

Abū Tamīlah Yaḥyā ibn Wāḍiḥ narrated—from Abū Ṭaybah ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim—from Ibn Buraydah—from his father, who said: “I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey, and the people’s belongings became heavy …”