Abdul Malik bin Maisarah said: I heard from Kurdus, who was a storyteller, that a person from the people of Badr informed me that he heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who used to say: "If I were to sit in such a gathering, it would be better for me to free four slaves." The narrator said: I asked, which gathering was meant by this? He said: In that gathering, at that time, storytelling was taking place.
Imam Darimi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The aforementioned companion from the people of Badr is our master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
Hadith Takhrijاس حدیث کی سند جید ہے۔ تخریج کے لئے دیکھئے: [مجمع الزوائد 925 بتحقيق حسين سليم الداراني]
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadith 2814)
In this hadith, there is a dislike (karahah) for listening to stories and tales, but there is no prohibition (mamani‘at). From this, it is understood that if true incidents from the lives of the noble Companions (Sahabah kiram), the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the pious predecessors (aslaf kiram) are mentioned in sermons and speeches, then there is no harm in it, but the incidents must be true and not fabricated. In the Noble Qur’an, there are stories of the Prophets and Messengers, and the story of the People of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf). Many incidents are also mentioned in the books of hadith from the life of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), such as the story of the Companions of the Cave (Ashab al-Ghar). And Allah knows best.