Crying and laughing are two activities to express our feeling--sadness and happiness. Laughing, in Oxford dictionary, is defined as making spontaneous sounds and movements of the face and body that are to instinctive expressions of lively amusement and sometimes also of derision. Meanwhile, crying is defined as shedding tears in distress, pain or sorrow. Crying is also defined as shouting or screaming in fear or in grief.
In Islamic perspective, laughing and crying are seen as either forbidden or recommended. However, crying loudly or laughing loudly are not suggested in Islam. Those are Jahiliyah's tradition. Jahiliyah people laughed very loudly, made some jokes and blew satanic trumpet when they got happiness. They cried loudly scratching their faces, tearing their pockets and screaming as loud as possible when they got sadness and being in grief.
Islam puts a rule when we have to cry and when we have to laugh. Crying due to fearing of Allah honestly is highly recommended. Here are some examples of recommended crying:
1. Crying in the act of remembering and repenting our sins
2. Crying in the act of performing sholat
3. Crying in the act of reciting or listening to holly Quran.
Allah said in holy Quran surah Maryam: 58 "When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping"
4. Crying in the act of having dzikir or saying supplication.
Meanwhile, excessive laughter gives several disadvantages, they are:
1. Getting punishment from Allah
As he said in the holly Quran At-Taubah: 82 "So let them laugh a little and (they will) cry much as a recompense of what they used to earn (by committing sins)".
Ibnu Abbas radhiyallahu �anhu explains about this ayat; he said that �The life in this world is only temporary, just laugh a lot dear people who like laughing. Then if you die, you will surely cry forever and ever".
2. The heart is getting difficult to remember Allah.
Our prophet said in his hadist �Do not laugh too much, for excessive laughter kills the heart [spiritually].� (Ibn Majah; a sound hadith according to al-Albani)
3. It can cause infidelity (kekufuran)
Making a joke while laughing at Allah's verses, prophet's hadiths, mocking and laughing at believers practicing sunnah activities are categorized as the infidels. As Allah said in his Quran surah At-Taubah: 65-66 "And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking? (65). Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals (66)."
So, just laugh inexcessively and cry honestly due to remembering and fearing of Allah.
