For things are of only three kinds: good, evil, and idle. Evil the servants of the Most Merciful never attend; idle talk they keep clear of, passing by it with dignity and unharmed; but when they encounter what is good, they immerse themselves in it.

The author then cites the report of ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never burst into laughter so fully that the back of his throat became visible. That is, he did not laugh with a coarse, raucous guffaw, flinging his mouth wide open until his uvula could be seen. Rather, he would smile, or laugh only until his molars—or at most his canines—were visible. Such restraint was part of the Prophet’s dignified bearing.

For this reason you will notice that a man given to constant loud chortling—who, whenever he laughs, guffaws and gapes his mouth—is regarded by people as frivolous and lowly, bereft of dignity. By contrast, one who often smiles at the proper moments is beloved; chests expand at the mere sight of him, and hearts find peace in his presence.