Is Saying “LOL” Permissible?
Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question
“Lol” originally means “laugh out loud”, which is not a good action in Islam. Nowadays, this is used widely and frequently on the internet and as part of text speech. Over time, it’s starting to be regarded as just a short way to express amusement over something, and is almost never regarded as expressing loud laughter, especially when written as lowercase or “lol”.
What is the ruling on using this phrase?
Answer
I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.
This isn’t wrong—as it is a customary expression; and laughing out loud (literally) isn’t sinful. However, the sunna of speech is to speak in clear, beautiful, expressive ways—and laughing out loud isn’t dignified.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say the good or remain silent.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
A simple smile or a clear expression would be closer to the beautiful way of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his folk).
And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
