The Ruling on Excessive Joking and Mockery with Colleagues

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, I hope that Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) will issue a ruling for me on this question, because it is personal to me. I say: I joke and mock a lot with my colleagues, especially when I am with them in the desert, and they are people I trust. I tried to get rid of this because I know that it may hurt my companion, even if it is just joking, but I was unable to. Am I sinful for those jokes, mockery, and joking?

Answer:
Yes, there is a prohibition against a person being a mocker and making people laugh; that is prohibited. This lowers a person’s dignity and makes him seem insignificant to people, and it diminishes his status. So one should leave off the excess of this. A little joking is fine, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to joke, but he did not say anything but the truth. As for excessive joking that becomes a person’s characteristic and his profession, that is not permissible. Yes.