Light-Heartedness
At another instance, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) says:
“Once, a companion invited the Holy Prophet (sa) for a meal. Some other companions had also been invited, among whom was Hazrat Ali (ra). Hazrat Ali (ra) was younger in age as compared to the others and so, some companions decided to engage with him in a light-hearted manner.
“As they ate dates, they would place the date-stones in front of Hazrat Ali (ra) and the Holy Prophet (sa) was doing the same. Hazrat Ali (ra) was young and occupied himself in eating and so he did not notice. When he finally did realise, he found a pile of date-stones in front of him. The companions, in a light-hearted manner, said to Hazrat Ali (ra), ‘You have eaten all the dates! Look at the pile of date-stones in front of you.’ Hazrat Ali (ra) also had a light-hearted disposition and would not become annoyed at such things. Had this been his nature, he would have argued with the companions and said that they were falsely accusing him or were thinking ill of him.
“Hazrat Ali (ra) understood that they were simply doing this in a humorous manner and so, he thought to himself that it was best for him to also reply in kind. Hence, he said, ‘You have even eaten the date-stones as well, whilst I have been keeping them to one side.”’ Meaning [Hazrat Ali (ra) said in a light-hearted manner] that unlike him, they were eating the dates including the date-stones and the proof was that he had a pile of date-stones in front of him. Thus, through this light-hearted response of his, the joke reverted back onto the companions.
(Khutbat-e-Mahmud, Vol. 33, pp. 259-260)