When Morals Become a Laughing Matter

In the past, people felt ashamed when their manners were lacking. Today, those without shame are considered the most ‘sporting’. Good manners have become a joke, and morals are turned into punchlines for comedy. The rougher the joke, the more popular it is.

In a hadith narrated by Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Among the sayings of former prophets that still resonate is: If you feel no shame, do as you please.” This is not a license for misconduct but a sharp critique of those who have lost their sense of shame.

In these end times, many boundaries have blurred. Women are insulted, men are cursed, elders become content fodder—all for entertainment. When corrected, it is dismissed as ‘just a joke’. But what kind of joke destroys the values of society?

Allah forbids insulting and mocking fellow Muslims in Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 11. Yet today, insults have become entertainment. Morals that should be preserved are used to provoke laughter nationwide.

Signs of the end times are not only natural disasters or physical destruction. When people lose shame and manners, that is also a sign of a world in decline. When morals are used as entertainment, it means nature’s order is reversed.

The Prophet (PBUH) said in a hadith narrated by Ahmad: “Among the signs of the approaching Day of Judgment is that those with low morals will become leaders.” Nowadays, the loudest and most brash are idolized, while the polite are seen as boring.

We are taught that morals reflect faith. But today, morals are just ‘filters’ in social media content. Wearing a hijab but speaking harshly, donning a kopiah but typing insults—what separates us from ignorance?

Do not wait for calamity to realize this. Every laugh born from mocking others will be a witness on the Day of Judgment. Every word that belittles others will be questioned by Allah.

Those with good morals may not be trending, but they are favored by Allah. Morals are not just in words but in actions. True morals do not make anyone the butt of jokes; they protect, not belittle.

Before we continue to make morals a source of entertainment, remember: today we laugh, tomorrow we may be laughed at by angels on the Day of Judgment. Then, all worldly content will be worthless.