Going to storytellers and sitting with them, and those who did so

Amr bin Aws said that his father, Sayyiduna Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), said: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was narrating stories to us and admonishing us.

Malik bin Mighwal said that Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami said: Do not sit in the gathering of any storyteller except Abu al-Ahwas.

Isma'il said that some people mentioned to Imam al-Sha'bi that sitting with a storyteller is equal to freeing a slave! At this he said: That I should free a slave is dearer to me than that I should sit in the company of a storyteller for four months.

Mughirah said that Ibrahim al-Taymi used to give admonition in the house of Abu Wa'il, and Abu Wa'il would tremble as birds tremble.

Mughirah said that al-Hasan al-Basri used to narrate stories, and Sa'id bin Jubayr used to narrate stories.

Dawud bin Shabur said that Mujahid said: We used to take pride over people through four persons: through a jurist, through a storyteller, through a caller to prayer and through a reciter of the Qur'an. Our jurist was Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), our caller to prayer was Sayyiduna Abu Mahdhurah (may Allah be pleased with him), our storyteller was Ubayd bin Umayr, and our reciter of the Qur'an was Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Sa'ib (may Allah be pleased with him).

Mujahid said that Yazid bin Shajarah used to give admonition, and his words were in agreement with his deeds.

Abd al-Malik bin Maysarah said that Kardus used to give admonition through storytelling, and he used to say that a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That I should sit in the gathering of a storyteller is dearer to me than that I should free four slaves.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I saw Sayyiduna Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) giving admonition through storytelling in the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).

Abdullah bin Habib bin Abi Thabit said: I saw Muhammad bin Ka'b al-Qurazi giving admonition.