#236: Ruling on Motivational Stories on Social Media

QUESTION

“Please also shed some light on inspirational/motivational stories shared on social media.. Though those stories are fake and fabricated., but they are meant for people to read and learn something from. What’s the stand of Islam on that? Jazakumullahu khyran @admin”

Answer

Alhamdulilllaah.

Wa jazaakumullaahu khayrn too, aameen

Regarding the stories that are imagined and told or written down in books and presented to children to read of adults to derive lessons from such as most of what are found in social media today, the Ulamaa have differed slightly on its ruling.

1. Absolute impermissibility.

This is the verdict of the Ulamaa of the ‘Al-Lajnatu Ad-Daa’ima’ where they held that they are a form of lies which we have been forbidden from telling in the Shari’ah, and in the stories told to us in the Qur’an and the Hadith are what suffices us to learn and teach and to motivate others.

2. Permissibility with conditions

This is the verdict of the majority of the Ulamaa of the past ans present.

Among those of this era are Shaykh Muhammad bn Saalih Al-Uthaymin – rahimahullaah – in ‘Al-Liqaa Al-Maftuh’, Shaykh Muhammad bn Al-Hassan bn Ad-Dadw Ash-Shanqiti – hafidhahullaah – and many others among the Ulamaa.

Their evidences for this include: the similitudes mentioned in the Qur’an and the Hadith, the prefaces to the poems that the Arabs used and that were used by sahaabas in the presence of the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – and which he did not condemn such as the poem ‘Baanat Su’ad’ that was sang by the Companion Ka’ab bn Zuhayr – radiyallahu anhu, most of the stories mentioned in the books of the Grammarians and the Literature masters of the Arabic Language such as Al-Hariri’s Maqaamaat, Ibn Hazm’s ‘Tawqu Al-Hamaama’, etc.

The conditions that they mention are:

1. That the stories should contain teachings to good, excellence and things encouraged by Islam and must not contain or encourage things that are prohibited or disliked in Islam.

2. That it is made clear or written out that it is a fictional writing.

3. It must neither be excessive nor substitutive of those written and confirmed to be true in the Books of Seera and History.

The first verdict is the best and the safest for a believer especially in these days where people have used such stories as ways to discourage people from reading the writings of our predecessors.

And, by Allaah, whosoever reads and goes deep into the books and writings of our predecessors will indeed see that the stories and motivational statements contained in them are more inspiring than his mind and heart can fictitiously concoct.

Allaahu A’alam.
Baarakallaahu feekum.