Question
My best friends and I joke with each other sometimes that we’re getting married because we love each other so much. Since we’re all girls, is that a sin? We don’t actually mean it, it’s just an exaggeration which is what makes the joke funny to us.
Answer
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question.
SubhanAllah, may Allah always give you good friends that you love. Such friends are priceless and you are of the lucky few to have such a blessing, ma sha Allah.
Joking about marriage
Generally speaking, joking about marriage is not taken lightly at all in Islam. The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “There are three things which, whether undertaken seriously or in jest, are treated as serious: Marriage, divorce and taking back a wife (after a divorce which is not final).“ [Abu Dawud]
However, considering that you are sitting with your female friends, and the joking is not happening between a man and woman, nor a father who might end up inadvertently marrying his daughter to the man that he is joking with, you are safe from any kind of accidental marriage.
Conditions of joking
However, it is not permissible to joke about what Allah hates and curses, namely, a romantic relationship between two of the same gender, so your joke would not be permissible. Although it may sound funny, it’s sickening if someone actually thinks about it. Please see the details here:
Is It Impermissible to Tell Inappropriate Jokes?
In general, stick to clean jokes, never hurt a person’s feelings, don’t mimic anyone, don’t speak of falsehood, and your joke will magnify your reward, make your good deed eternal, and bring true cheer into someone’s heart.
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.