What does Islam say about mocking and ridiculing other people?

Allah forbids any group mocking another, insulting one another, or calling people by offensive nicknames, and warns that the one being mocked may well be better before Allah than the one mocking (Quran 49:11). The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is enough evil for a man that he despises his Muslim brother," and that a Muslim's blood, wealth and honour are sacred to another Muslim (Sahih Muslim 2564). This covers "jokes" made at someone's expense over their appearance, accent, disability, poverty or family, and lying to raise a laugh is not exempt: "Woe to the one who speaks falsely to make people laugh — woe to him, woe to him" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4990, graded hasan). Light-hearted humour is permitted, but never at the cost of another's dignity. Because mockery is a wrong against a person and not only against Allah, most scholars hold that repentance includes seeking that person's pardon; where telling them would only cause fresh harm, some scholars say one should instead supplicate for them and speak well of them where one had spoken ill.

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