short stories :
'Umayr, Nughayr"
The Prophet (pbuh) used to joke with the small child of one of the Sahaba, a boy called Abu 'Umayr, who had a small bird he used to play with. One day he saw the child looking sad, so he said, "Why do I see Abu 'Umayr looking sad?" The Sahaba told him, "The nughar [a small bird, like a sparrow] which he used to play with has died, O Messenger of Allah"..
The Prophet (pbuh) began to gently joke with the child, saying, "O Abu Umayr, what happened to the nughayr?" [Nughayr: diminutive of nughar. In Arabic, this is a play on words, because of the rhyme between the boy's name and that of the bird]. Source: This story was reported in Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/149.
''I Am a Free Man!''
A report given by Imam Ahmad from Umm Salamah Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to do business in Busra, and with him were Nu'ayman and Suwaybit ibn Harmalah (may Allah be pleased with them), both of whom had been present at Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of food on the journey, and Nu'ayman said to him, "Feed me!" Suwaybit said, "Not until Abu Bakr comes."..
Nu'ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humour, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, "Will you buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He has a big mouth, and he may tell you that he is a free man. If that means that you do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him." They said, "No problem, we will buy him." So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu'ayman brought the animals back, and told the people: "There he is!" Suwaybit said: "I am a free man!" They said, "He has already told us all about you," and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animals and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (pbuh) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a year afterwards. Source:Hayat Al Sahabah
"Here's a gift"!
Once Nuayman went to the suq (market) and saw some food being sold which appeared to be tasty and delightful. He ordered some and sent it to the Prophet as if it were a gift from him. The Prophet was delighted with the food and he and his family ate of it.
The vendor of the food then came to Nuayman to collect the price of it and an-Nuayman said to him: "Go to the Messenger of God it was for him. He and his family ate it." ..
The vendor went to the Prophet who in turn asked Nuayman: "Didn't you give it to me?" "Yes," said Nuayman. "I thought you would like it and I wanted you to eat some of it so I had it presented to you. But I don't have any dirhams (coins) to pay the vendor for it. So, pay, O Messenger of God!"
The Prophet had a good laugh and so did his companions. The laugh was at his expense, literally, for he had to pay the price of the unsolicited gift. Nuayman felt that two benefits came out of the incident: the Prophet and his family ate food that they enjoyed and the Muslims had a good laugh!
"The whole of you!"
Auf Ibn Malik Ashjai said: That at the time of the battle of Tabuk he went to see the Prophet pbuh. At that time the Prophet was sitting in a small round shaped tent of leather. Auf saluted the Prophet pbuh and he returned the salutation. He further asked him to come into the tent. At this Auf said, 'Should I come in, the whole of me?' The Prophet pbuh said, 'Yes, come in the whole of you.' Then he entered the tent. [Walid Ibn Uthman ibn Abi al Aliyah rahimahullaah says that Auf had said this because of the smallness of the tent :)) (op cit)]
[Abu Daud, al Bidayah Vol VI p46]
"the lighthearted prophet"
once Ali (radiallahu anhu) was eating dates with the messenger of Allah saw , Ali liked to joke with the prophet , he was eating dates and spitting out the pits.
Ali kept putting his pits in front of the prophet , and then Ali looked at the pits and said : ohh!! the messenger of Allah !, you have eaten all of these dates" . the prophet looked , and then replied : " oh Ali ! and you have eaten the dates and the pits inside ! "
