Crying

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Weeping

1 See Volume One, Chapter Forty Seven for this Sunnah

2 A greyish metallic element, the oxide of which when inhaled by miners in under ventilated mines, causes brain damage and symptoms very similar to those of parkinsonism.

O Allah (The Exalted) bless our master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in all that the Pen has written in the Mother of the Book.

There are benefits in crying as crying rids many illnesses of the eye and sins are forgiven too. Newspapers have also written articles saying it is very beneficial for the eyes when one cries. There have been people who cried many times in their life and Allah, The Exalted, has given them a very high status as Allah (The Exalted) loves those people very much. Those people who do not shed tears even at times of sorrow have hard hearts and need to rectify that and cry in remembrance of Allah (The Exalted). We make supplication today that we have tears in our eyes for fear and love of Allah (The Exalted). The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would cry despite the fact that he is the leader of all Prophets. People close to the Prophet (such as ‘Abu Bakr) cried for the fear of the hereafter despite having deeds more than anyone else in the Ummah. ‘Umar, from whom even the Shaytan fled from, ‘Uthman, whom even the Prophet was shy off, and ‘Ali, the Lion of Allah (may Allah be pleased with them all) cried despite their high stature.

Crying: Why we laugh and cry i As humans we laugh and cry, but seldom do we question how, or why. There are many processes involved in both responses. Cultures around the world allow both crying and laughing as acceptable behaviours. With crying, as well as laughter, the body goes through physical or chemical changes. Crying and laughter are beneficial to us both emotionally and physically. We must have them to function in the world.

i by Wendy Norlund

ii Sources of this study: 1.”A Big Mystery: Why do we laugh?” 27 May 1999. 2. Frey, William H. II. Ph.D. Crying: The Mystery of Tears. innesota: Winston Press, 1985. 3. Greig, John Young Thomson M.A. The Psychology of Laughter and Comedy. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1969.

4. “How Laughter Works.” 13 April 2000. 5. Lutz, Tom. Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 6. Moody, Raymond A. Jr., M.D. Laugh after Laugh. Florida: Headwaters Press, 1978. 7. “Why we laugh.”12 March 2000.

iii Mishkat

iv Ibn Majah

Crying is a more complicated process than one would at first imagine. First of all, there are really three different types of tears. Basal tears keep our eyes lubricated constantly. Reflex tears are produced when our eyes get irritated, like with onions or when something gets into our eyes. The third kind of tear is produced when the body reacts emotionally to something. Each type of tear contains different amounts of chemical proteins and hormones. Scientists have discovered that the emotional tears contain higher levels of manganese2 and the hormone prolactin, and this contributes in a reduction of both of these in the body; thus reducing the risk of depression. Many people have found that crying actually calms them after being upset and this is in part due to the chemicals and hormones that are released in the tears.

We need both laughter and tears to help us function in society. Crying relieves stress, reduces hormone and chemical levels in the body, and helps us return to a calm state.ii

Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “There is nothing more beloved to Allah (The Exalted) than two drops and two marks. A teardrop shed in the fear of Allah (The Exalted) and a drop of blood spilt for the sake of Allah (The Exalted). As for the two marks, one which is sustained for the sake of Allah (The Exalted) and one which is received in the course of carrying out an obligation commanded by Allah (The Exalted).” iii

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) states, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave us a sermon, the likes of which we had never heard before. He said, “If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much!” Thereupon the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) covered their faces, weeping and sniffing.” iv