The Ill Effects of Storytelling

The Ill Effects of Storytelling
بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد
It was related by Khabbaab ibn al-Aratt رضي الله عنه1 that the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
إن بني إسرائيل لما هلكوا قصوا
“When Banoo Israa’eel fell into ruin, they began to tell stories.”
[al-Tabaraanee in al-Mu`jam al-Kabeer (7305) and Abu Nu`aim in al-Hilya
(4/362) and graded as “Hasan”2 by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah
(1681) and in Jami` al-Sagheer (2045)]
al-Muhaddith Muhammad
Naasir al-Deen al-Albaanee رحمه الله says in al-Saheehah (1681): He
(i.e. Ibn Atheer) says in al-Nihaayah: ‘(When they fell into ruin, they
began to tell stories) i.e. they relied upon speech and left off action;
so this was the cause of their ruination, or, conversely, when they
fell into ruin, they left off action and inclined toward storytelling.’
I say (i.e. al-Albaanee): It could be said that the reason for their
ruination was the concern of their preachers with telling stories and
tales without [imparting] Fiqh and beneficial knowledge that instructs
the people in their religion, causing them to do righteous deeds. So
when they fell into that (i.e. focus on storytelling), they were ruined.
And this is the circumstance of many of the storytellers of our time,
who the greater portion of their exhortations concern reports of Banoo
Israa’eel, heart softening stories and Soofee legends. We ask Allaah for
our well-being.
[1] Ibn Ḥajr رحمه الله mentions: “He is Khabbaab
ibn al-Aratt al-Tameemee, Aboo `Abdallaah; he was from the first of
those who accepted Islaam, and he suffered hardship for the Sake of
Allaah. He was present at Badr and later settled in Koofah; he died
there in the year 37H.
[2] Others who have authenticated this Hadeeth are:
- Al-Haithamee said in al-Majma` al-Zawaa’id (1/189): This was reported
by al-Tabaraanee and its narrators are trustworthy, except that they
differed about al-Ajlih al-Kindee but most of them hold him reliable.
- `Abdul-Haqq al-Ishbeelee said in al-Ahkaam: It is reported by
al-Bazzaar from the Hadeeth of Shareek Ibn `Abdullaah and its chain is
“Hasan”.