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Ibn al-Jawzi

al-Qussas wa al-Mudhakkirin

Author died
597 AH
Editions
al-Maktab al-Islāmī

al-Qussas wa al-Mudhakkirin (The Storytellers and Admonishers) is a treatise by the Hanbali scholar Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH / 1201 CE) examining the practice of popular storytelling and religious exhortation, differentiating legitimate preaching from blameworthy fabrications and innovations.

Background and Purpose

Ibn al-Jawzi composed the work in response to an inquiry regarding conflicting statements transmitted from early generations (al-salaf), some of whom praised storytellers and encouraged attending their gatherings while others strictly forbade it. He undertook the treatise to provide a definitive assessment clarifying the praiseworthy aspects of the craft from the blameworthy.

In his introduction, Ibn al-Jawzi divides the discipline into three related terms: qasas (storytelling), tadhkir (reminding), and wa'z (admonition), corresponding to the figures of the qass, mudhakkir, and wa'iz. He explains that recounting the stories of past peoples is not inherently blameworthy, as it offers lessons and examples, but notes that early authorities disliked storytelling for six main reasons:

  1. It constituted a novel practice not present during the time of the Prophet ﷺ.
  2. Narratives concerning ancient peoples—especially Isra'iliyyat (Israelite lore)—rarely possess authentic transmissions and often contain impossible tales that compromise the dignity of prophets.
  3. Preoccupation with stories distracts from essential religious disciplines, such as reciting the Quran, transmitting Hadith, and studying jurisprudence (fiqh).
  4. The stories in the Quran and the admonitions in the Sunnah suffice without relying on unverified accounts.
  5. Certain storytellers introduced material that corrupted the hearts of the general public.
  6. The majority of storytellers lacked religious learning and piety, failing to verify their speech or avoid errors.

Structure and Contents

The book is organized into twelve chapters:

  1. Praise of storytelling and admonition (fi madh al-qasas wa-al-wa'z).
  2. Mention of the first person who told stories (fi dhikr awwal man qass).
  3. Those who are fit to tell stories (fi dhikr man yanbaghi an yaquss).
  4. The requirement of obtaining the ruler's permission before preaching (fi annahu la yuqassu illa bi-idhn al-amir).
  5. Delivering admonitions at opportune times when listeners are receptive (fi al-ta'ahhud bi-al-mawa'iz waqt al-nashat laha).
  6. Notable figures who attended the assemblies of storytellers (fi dhikr man kana yahduru min al-akabir 'ind al-qussas).
  7. Pitfalls that storytellers must guard against (fi dhikr ma yuhdharu 'alayhi 'ala al-qussas).
  8. Condemnation of those who enjoin good but fail to practice it (fi dhamm man ya'muru bi-al-ma'ruf wa-la ya'tamir).
  9. The foremost figures among storytellers and admonishers (fi dhikr sadat al-qussas wa-al-mudhakkirin).
  10. Warning against groups who imitated admonishers and introduced innovations, provoking broad condemnation of storytelling (fi al-tahdhir min aqwam tashabbahu bi-al-mudhakkirin fa-ahdathu wa-ibtada'u).
  11. Reports from early generations censuring storytellers and an explanation of their contexts (fi dhikr ma warada 'an al-salaf min dhamm al-qussas wa-bayan wujuh dhalik).
  12. Guidance instructing the storyteller on how to preach properly (fi dhikr ta'lim al-qass kayfa yaquss).

Method and Arguments

Throughout the work, Ibn al-Jawzi combines transmitted reports with critical analysis of the preaching culture of his time. He condemns unqualified preachers who rely on fabricated hadiths, theatrical displays of weeping, and emotional manipulation to appeal to common audiences and amass worldly wealth. He highlights that early preachers were scholars grounded in jurisprudence, whereas the deterioration of the craft occurred when ignorant individuals entered the field. To correct these abuses, he outlines proper scholarly standards, emphasizing that a preacher must be knowledgeable in Quranic sciences—such as the abrogating and abrogated verses (al-nasikh wa-al-mansukh)—and Hadith criticism, aligning their personal conduct with their speech.

Reception and Legacy

Ibn al-Jawzi referenced the detailed arguments of al-Qussas wa al-Mudhakkirin in his later critical work Talbis Iblis (The Devil's Deception), in the chapter addressing corruptions among preachers. Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) drew upon and summarized significant portions of the work in his treatise Tahdhir al-Khawass min Akhadhib al-Qussas (Warning the Elite Against the Lies of Storytellers).

The text was edited in modern times by Muhammad ibn Lutfi al-Sabbagh, who noted the contrast between Ibn al-Jawzi's rigorous critique of fabricated stories in works like al-Qussas wa al-Mudhakkirin and his occasional leniency in citing weak narratives in some of his purely homiletic compilations.

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