بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The Prophet ﷺ said that, “Allah laughs at two men one of whom killed the other, but both enter Paradise. One fights in Allah’s cause and is killed, then Allah relents towards the other and guides him to Islam, then he fights in Allah’s cause and gets martyred.”

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

Shaykh Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi said about about the words, “Allah laughs”

“There is a kind of laughter which seizes people when joy or amusement overcome them. It not allowed to apply such laughter to Allah, and it is negated from His Attributes. [His Laughter] is but a similitude coined for the deed that counts among human beings as a cause for astonishment, so that when they see it they laugh. Its meaning as Allah’s attribute is to inform of His good pleasure as the deed of one the two men and His acceptance of the other followed by the translation of the both to Paradise for what they did, despite the difference in their respective circumstances and intents. Corresponding to the above is what Bukhari narrated whereby someone visited the Prophet ﷺ who said, ‘Who will host this man?’ Whereby one of the Ansar said, ‘I will’ The latter rushed to his wife and told her, ‘Provide generously for the guest of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ.’ She replied, ‘We only have the food of the children.’ He said, ‘Prepare the food then light the candle and put the children to bed at dinner-time.’ She did as he said then got up to tinker with the light and put it ought, and she and her husband pretended to but remained hungry that night. The next morning they went to see the Prophet ﷺ and he said, ‘Last night Allah laughed or was astonished [ the narrator hesitated] at what you two did.’ And Allah revealed the verse, ‘They put others above their need though poverty become their lot’ [59:9] Al-Bukhari said that the meaning of laughter here is mercy. This interpretation is close to true, and much closer yet, and more probable is that of good pleasure. It is known that laughter on the part of those possessing judgment denotes good pleasure and joy. It is the first sign that they accepted the entreaty made to them, the preliminary to the success of the petitioners. Generous and benevolent people, when solicited, are described as showing good humor and amiability. That is also the meaning of ‘Allah laughs at two men’ that is, He lavishes His generosity upon them, for that is the necessary cause of the laughter and its necessary conclusion.”

[Asma wa Sifat pg. 469-470]

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani agrees with this notion and says, “Good pleasure on Allah’s part necessitates mercy from Him, since the two necessarily go together.”

[Fath al-Bari 7:151, 8:816]

Shaykh Abu Sulayman al-Khattab adds on concerning the words, “Allah was astonished”

“Concerning the words “Allah was astonished” Astonishment cannot be applied to Allah Almighty nor befits His Attributes. Its significance is only good pleasure, and it actually means that the deed of the two spouses met with Allah’s good pleasure, acceptance, and many fold rewards in the place of something trivial which causes our astonishment for being placed high above its value, and being repaid many times its kind. Its meaning may also be that Allah causes astonishment and laughter among the angels.”

[Asma wa Sifat pg. 470]

As for the interpretation where Allah causes astonishment and laughter among the angels, this was the view of Imam Ibn Hibban as found in his Sahih.

[Sahih Ibn Hibban 10:522]

It was also the view of Imam Qadhi ‘Iyyad as reported by Imam Nawawi.

[Sharh Sahih Muslim 13/14:256]

Allah سبحانه و تعالى‎ knows best

جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا