In Sufi didactic literature, there is a fundamental distinction between the deliberate use of jest (hazl) and the trap of frivolous laughter (khandeh-ye harzeh). While frivolous laughter is condemned as a state of spiritual forgetfulness that distracts the seeker from their mortality and the transient nature of the world, pedagogical jest is actively employed to shock readers out of moral complacency. Intentional jest serves to dismantle superficial piety and reveal deeper spiritual truths, contrasting sharply with heedless amusement, which merely acts as a veil of ego-driven delusion.