The divine origin of laughter according to the Qur’an Exegetical readings of verse 43 of Sura 53

Résumé

This article attempts to shed light on the debate on the origin of laughter and humor in Islam by focusing on the analysis of the Koranic statement attributing to God the action of "provoking laughter" according to verse 43 of sura 53 (an-Najm). This verse is inserted in the middle of a passage where several phenomena attributed to God are enumerated, marked by the presence of a kind of duality (to make laugh / to make cry; to give life or make alife / to give death ; to create the male / to create the female). On the basis of this verse and its context, some interpretations that Muslim exegetes, mostly of Sunni tradition, have developed concerning this very particular phenomenon of laughter, will be studied. The apparently explicit wording of this verse leaves several questions open, starting with who laughs and who cries. The numerous responses evoke different possibilities of understanding the scope of this verse. Traditional Sunni theology, notably the Ash'arite school, takes this verse as a basis to reaffirm its fundamental doctrinal point regarding the attribution of creating the actions of man to God. As for Fakhr al-Dîn al-Râzî, he argues, based on this verse and the group of verses to which it belongs, to assert that nothing can explain the presence of laughter and tears except to recognize a divine will and a divine power