Humor is human. Animals can show anger, jealousy, hatred, love and all other human feelings but they cannot laugh.

Humor is caused by three situations: frustration of expectations in small matters, juxtaposition of two incongruities, or innocent disrespect of the respected.

Laughter is serious business. It all starts with a smile, proceeds to a giggle, a chuckle, and may end in a chortle or a guffaw.

In life duality is a reality. Happiness and miseries coexist: one can never avoid miseries. A person who understand this reality can withstand the jolts of life with a sense of humor and a smiling face. Maulana Ali (AS) has said: "A mumin's grief is in his heart; his smile is on his face." "Smile and the world smiles with you; cry and you cry alone." How true! Smiling brings out the positive energy in you, an energy which is highly contagious. So once you start smiling everything around you will be aglow with happiness.

Why do we smile? Maulana Ali (AS) has said "A smiling face captures affection". A bride's coy half-smile, a mother's soft smile at her beloved child's antics, a man's satisfied grin at a job well done and for us mumineen Maula's radiant smile.

Laughter creates a "chemistry" of health and well being. Scientific research shows that laughter lowers conditions like blood pressure and increases endorphins that improve our sense of well being. The most profound effect of laughter is on the immune system. The 'T' cells that destroy viruses and tumors increase during a state of mirth.

It is estimated that on an average children laugh 400 times a day and by the time they are adults its down to 15 times so where did the 385 laughs go? This has prompted a whole new genre of clubs where people get together in laughter clubs to laugh away their worries.

As always there are two sides to a coin and as Maulana Ali (AS) says "Too much laughter kills the soul". Abusing the tool of laughter has dire effects on one's personality. Laughter shouldn't be used to ridicule people, laugh with people not at them. Don't be disrespectful by laughing at serious subjects. Too much laughter is a sign of silliness and takes away from a mumin's esteem and poise.