Who are the storytellers (al-qussas) who are considered among the weak and ruined, and whose flaw is that they are storytellers? And are they anyone who preaches to people and recounts stories, or is there more detail on the matter?

Narration (Al-Qass) is to preach to the general public by relying on stories. Admonition (Al-Tathkeer) is to inform people of Allah's blessings, urge them to be grateful, and warn them against disobeying Him. Exhortation (Al-Wa'dh) is a warning that softens the heart. Narration and exhortation are praiseworthy in principle, based on the Almighty's saying: "So relate the stories that perhaps they may reflect" (Quran 7:176), and His saying: "And advise them and speak to them an eloquent word about themselves" (Quran 4:63), and His saying: "And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers" (Quran 51:55). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Companions used to do this. Whoever follows their guidance and exhorts people with knowledge and insight is rewarded and thanked. Imam Ahmad permitted sitting with a truthful narrator (qass) who mentions the Balance (Mizan) and the torment of the grave.

Nevertheless, some individuals entered the domain of exhortation who lie, exaggerate, add or subtract from Hadith (definition), seek fame, or have bad conduct. This compelled the Imams to warn against such people. Thus, narration is not blameworthy in itself, but rather for what might be mixed with it, such as lies, exaggeration, and ignorance. Ibn al-Jawzi mentioned that storytellers (qussas) were condemned because most of them indulged in narrating stories without beneficial knowledge and mixed up what they reported.

Describing a narrator as a "qass" (storyteller/narrator) does not necessarily imply authentication or disparagement. There were trustworthy ones among them and weak ones. Among the trustworthy were: Sa'id ibn Hassan, 'A'idh Allah ibn 'Abdullah, and Thabit ibn Aslam. Among the weak were: Ahmad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Iyad, and Darraj Abu al-Samh.