It is narrated from Sayyiduna Alqamah bin Waqqas that there was a jester who used to go to the rulers and make them laugh with his talk. My grandfather (Alqamah) said to him: "Woe to you, O so-and-so! Why do you go to these people and make them laugh? For I heard Sayyiduna Bilal bin al-Harith al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him), the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), narrating that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Indeed, a servant speaks a word pleasing to Allah which he does not even imagine will reach the degree it reaches, and Allah is pleased with him because of it until the day he meets Him. And indeed, a servant speaks a word displeasing to Allah which he does not even imagine will reach as far as it does, and Allah is displeased with him because of it until the day he meets Him.'" This is a sahih (authentic) hadith. Imam Muslim used Muhammad bin Amr as evidence, and Sa'id bin Amir established its chain from him just as I mentioned above. It was likewise narrated by Sufyan al-Thawri, Isma'il bin Ja'far, Abd al-Aziz al-Darawardi, Muhammad bin Bishr al-Abdi and others. As for the hadith of al-Thawri: