I am only Joking

It has been proven that The Prophet (Peace be upon him) joked. It has also been prohibited to joke. In Tirmidhi (an authentic hadeeth book) a narration of Sayyidina Abbas (R.A) is reported to wherein it has been prohibited to joke. Imaam Nawawi has compared the two in this manner and said that excessive joking which will result in the heart becoming hard, or it will keep one away from the remembrance of Allah, or it may become a means of troubling a muslim, or it may lessen the dignity and degrade one. All these are included in the prohibition. If it (joking) is void of this and is done solely to appease or make someone happy, then it will be Mustahab (desirable). Sayyidina Abdulla Bin Haarith (R.A) say’s “I have not seen anyone who makes a person more cheerful than The prophet (Peace be upon him). This reason being that the cheerful nature of Rasulallah (s.a.w) was no more of a source

Shamaail Tirmidhi Ml. Zakaria Kandelwi (R.A.) pages 221 – 227