Some truths about laughter

THE EDITOR: Laughter is the best medicine. It is the partly involuntary vocal facial actions expressive of mirth (Nuttall’s Dictionary).

There are three types of laughter. Laughter itself, smile and laughter to scorn.

Laughter is always followed by sounds with a smile. Smile consists of the spreading out of the face where the teeth are exposed without any sound.

The Quran warns that people should not laugh at other people perchance they may be better than them. Women must not laugh at other women who may be better than them (Q 14:11). Those who are guilty used to laugh at those who believe (Q)83:34).

The Bible warns us to let our laughter be turned into mourning. Let our joy turn into despair (James 4:9).

The Bible states that it is better to be in vexation than in laughter. The heart of the wise is the house of mourning but the heart of the stupid is in the house of rejoicing (Ecclesiastes 7:3-4).

Prophet Mohammad advised us that we should be careful of excessive laughter because it makes the heart dead and takes away the brightness of the face.

Laughter creates malice in the heart in some circumstances.

Let us remember the famous song: “When you’re smiling and laughing the whole world smiles with you but when you’re crying you bring on the rain, so stop your crying and be happy again.”

AHAMAD KHAYYAM, Curepe