I guess you have to be a Muslim to find these jokes funny. Like Irish jokes have Murphy, Islam has Mullah Nasruddin. Now I've read several jokes with this fellow the main character but I don't think I've laughed at one yet. There is probably some cultural bridge I need to cross in order to muster up a least a smile. Anyway I'm not even sure they are jokes in the real sense, more or less displays of a condescending attitude towards the stupid and the obvious.

I almost feel as if the jokewriters are afraid to really let go. Is risque joke writing suppressed, encumbered by the weight of religious doctrine, forbidden, punishable or just not in the cards. If there is a really hilarious Muslim joke then can someone please relate it here?

Truthfully now, are the Nasruddin jokes funny? How popular are Nasruddin jokes amongst Muslims? Are there any "dirty" Nasruddin jokes or are the following samples the best Islam can offer:

"HOW OLD ARE YOU, MULLAH? SOMEONE ASKED, 'THREE YEARS OLDER THAN MY BROTHER.'HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? 'REASONING. LAST YEAR. I HEARD MY BROTHER TELL SOMEONE THAT I WAS TWO YEARS OLDER THAN HIM. A YEAR HAS PASSED. THAT MEANS THAT I AM OLDER BY ONE YEAR. I SHALL SOON BE OLD ENOUGH TO BE HIS GRANDFATHER.'

NASRUDDIN WENT INTO A SHOP TO BUY A PAIR OF TROUSERS WITH A RECENT CASH ADVANCE HE JUST RECEIVED. THEN HE CHANGED HIS MIND AND CHOSE A CLOAK INSTEAD, AT THE SAME PRICE. PICKING UP THE CLOAK HE LEFT THE SHOP. "YOU HAVE NOT PAID," SHOUTED THE MERCHANT. "I LEFT YOU THE TROUSERS, WHICH WERE OF THE SAME VALUE AS THE CLOAK." "BUT YOU DID NOT PAY FOR THE TROUSERS EITHER.OF COURSE NOT,SAID MULLAH ;WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT WANT TO BUY?"

ONE DAY MULLAH NASRUDDIN ENTERED HIS FAVORITE TEAHOUSE AND SAID:'THE MOON IS MORE USEFUL THAN THE SUN'. AN OLD MAN ASKED 'WHY MULLA?' NASRUDDIN REPLIED 'WE NEED THE LIGHT MORE DURING THE NIGHT THAN DURING THE DAY.'

A FRIEND ASKED THE MULLA HOW OLD ARE YOU? FORTY REPLIED THE MULLAH. THE FRIEND SAID, BUT YOU SAID THE SAMETHING TWO YEARS AGO ! YES REPLIED THE MULLAH, I ALWAYS STAND BY WHAT I HAVE SAID.

YOU MAY HAVE LOST YOUR DONKEY, NASRUDDIN, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GRIEVE OVER IT MORE THAN YOU DID ABOUT THE LOSS OF YOUR FIRST WIFE. AH, BUT IF YOU REMEMBER, WHEN I LOST MY WIFE, ALL YOU VILLAGERS SAID: WE'LL FIND YOU SOMEONE ELSE. SO FAR, NOBODY HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE MY DONKEY."

NASRUDDIN NEARLY FELL INTO A POOL ONE DAY. A MAN WHOM HE KNEW SLIGHTLY WAS NEARBY, AND SAVED HIM. EVERY TIME HE MET NASRUDDIN AFTER THAT HE WOULD REMIND HIM OF THE SERVICE WHICH HE HAD PERFORMED. WHEN THIS HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NASRUDDIN TOOK HIM TO THE WATER, JUMPED IN, STOOD WITH HIS HEAD JUST ABOVE WATER AND SHOUTED: "NOW I AM AS WET AS I WOULD HAVE BEEN IF YOU HAD NOT SAVED ME! LEAVE ME ALONE.

you're right. not really funny. I guess I'm missing the punchline.

The 'joke' is simply Nasruddin's stupidity. Er, that's it. One problem could well be a translation that misses some subtle play on words ...

Murphy goes down to the blacksmith's looking for a job. "So tell me Murphy, have you ever shoed a horse?" Murphy thinks for a while, then says, "Ah, to be sure I haven't, but I did once tell a pig to feck off."

Reminds me of the old "Newfie" jokes. Like the Newfie who drowned. He read the sign that said, "Drink Canada Dry!", so he tried.

lordshipmayhem wrote:Reminds me of the old "Newfie" jokes. Like the Newfie who drowned. He read the sign that said, "Drink Canada Dry!", so he tried.

I get that one!

Nasiruddin (that's how his name is spelled here) jokes are the wittiest I've ever heard! You haven't heard the great ones then.

Here are two of my favorites.

Nasruddin was once once asked to address a friday-congregation at the local mosque about the meaning of life and other philosophical issues. Nasruddin, being a dumb guy, knew nothing of these. So he thinks of a plan. He goes to the mosque and says "Doe any of you know what I'm going to teach you today?" The audience says, "No, we don't." So Nasruddin says, "How can I teach such a stupid crowd?" and walks away.

The following friday, the audience comes up with a plan. When Nasruddin asked the same question, they replied, "We do." So Nasruddin says, "So what's there to teach?" and leaves.

Next week, the audience thinks of a foolproof strategy. Half of them say, "We know what you are going to teach" and the other half say, "We have no idea". Nasruddin says, "That's even better! Those of who know teach those who don't" and signs off!

The other one is more philosophical!

There is this sad guy who comes to Nasruddin and complains about his life in the city. He is so fed up with his life that he has sold all his property and taken the money in a bag and decided to move to another city. Nasruddin runs away with his bag! The guy chases him and after a long run, Nasruddin keeps the bag below a tree and keeps an eye on it from a distance. The guy, on seeing the bag, is overjoyed! Nasruddin says, "That's one way to make a sad man happy."

lordshipmayhem wrote:Reminds me of the old "Newfie" jokes. Like the Newfie who drowned. He read the sign that said, "Drink Canada Dry!", so he tried.

Not unlike the Newfie who died at sea.....four friends drowned trying to bury him.

There must be a joke somewhere with Nasruddin, a priest and a rabbi. Right now I'm trying to imagine stand-up comedy Islamic style, imagining probably funnier than witnessing the real thing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGEY8cZuGF4[/youtube]

She seemed nervous & cautious, sort of like doing standup knowing your forehead is in someone's crosshairs. She rarely stops swaying, no sense being a stationary target. Unfortunately not funny, like Degeneres she laughs at her own jokes. Nasruddin is funnier.

I actually quite like those Nasruddin jokes. They are funny, thanks for posting petwo! I think you are right that what's funny is partly culturally determined :laugh:

Natselrox, thanks for sharing, but why stop at two?

NineBerry wrote:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGEY8cZuGF4[/youtube]

She's actually pretty good. I like the dry delivery of her punchlines. You get the feeling that she's relatively new to the business and thus a tad nervous, but other than that:

Mazille wrote:
She's actually pretty good. I like the dry delivery of her punchlines. You get the feeling that she's relatively new to the business and thus a tad nervous, but other than that:

Agreed

NineBerry wrote:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGEY8cZuGF4[/youtube]

english humor

I like that she actually does look like Dobby from Harry Potter

The one with the donkey is kind of funny.

I don't think they are meant to be 'jokes' in our sense of the word, with a set up, build up and a punch line. They are more a lesson or even a koan, designed to promote thought about particular things. After you have thought, you may smile and shake your head.

Nazreddin is the muslim version of Till Eulenspiegel

NineBerry wrote:Nazreddin is the muslim version of Till Eulenspiegel

Or the muslim version of our dumb blonde and Pollack jokes.

Polack jokes. Pollack jokes are jokes about modern art. Many Polacks consider being called a Pollack insulting.

epepke wrote:Polack jokes. Pollack jokes are jokes about modern art. Many Polacks consider being called a Pollack insulting.