The Quran

Preface

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا يَسخَر قَومٌ مِن قَومٍ عَسىٰ أَن يَكونوا خَيرًا مِنهُم وَلا نِساءٌ مِن نِساءٍ عَسىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيرًا مِنهُنَّ ۖ وَلا تَلمِزوا أَنفُسَكُم وَلا تَنابَزوا بِالأَلقابِ ۖ بِئسَ الِاسمُ الفُسوقُ بَعدَ الإيمانِ ۚ وَمَن لَم يَتُب فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ الظّالِمونَ

Yusuf Ali

O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others:¹ It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be² sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.

Mutual ridicule ceases to be fun when there is arrogance or selfishness or malice behind it. We may laugh with people, to share in the happiness of life: we must never laugh at people in contempt or ridicule. In many things the may be better than ourselves!
Defamation may consist in speaking ill of others by the spoken or written word, or in acting in such a way as to suggest a charge against some person whom we are not in a position to judge. A cutting, biting remark or taunt of sarcasm is included in the word lamaza. An offensive nickname may amount to defamation, but in any case there is no point in using offensive nicknames, or names that suggest some real or fancied defect.They ill accord with the serious purpose which Muslims should have in life. For example, even if a man is lame, it is wrong to address him as “O lame one!” It causes him pain, and it is bad manners. So in the case of the rude remark, “the black man”.