How did the religious preachers / storytellers shape Islam?
Many Muslims today think that all religious information is preserved with the same care as the Qur'an. So when they hear or read something - usually on the internet - they take it to be the truth. This article is focussing on the preachers and how they have played a major part in diverting the Muslims away from the Qur'an and into the realms of fantasy.
The storytellers often invented exaggerated rewards for simple actions, such as promising palaces made of pearls in paradise, just for reciting a phrase. They also added cinematic scenes about the afterlife, speaking of giant angels and snakes, imagined conversations in the grave, imagined conversations with Allah on the day of judgement and so on. They consistently refer to details of the unseen beyond what the Qur'an itself describes.
People trusted storytellers because of their charisma even though they tell a "...baseless narrative with which to mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge, and to make it a mockery..." (31:6).
Qur'an has the best stories
The Qur'an is filled with verses such as it is a "...Book fully detailed..." (6:114) "...sent down from your Lord with the truth..." (6:114), a "...Book which We have detailed with knowledge..." (7:52), a book which has "...a detailing of all things, and a guidance and a mercy..." (12:111), a "...Book as a clarification for all things, and a guidance and a mercy and good tidings..." (16:89), and a "...Book whose verses are made detailed..." (41:3). Allah also says "...We have fully detailed the revelations..." (6:126).
The Qur'an claims that it "...narrate to you the best stories..." (12:3) as "in their stories is a lesson for those who possess intelligence..." (12:111), or "...dispatched in this Qur’an for the people from every example..." (18:54), or "Allah has sent down the best narrative..." (39:23), or "...put forth for the people in this Qur’an from every example..." (39:27).
Despite these verses supporting the idea the Qur'an is fully detailed, there is a belief in the minds of Muslims that the Qur'an is abstract and requires external sources for explanations. The Qur'an's own claim that it is filled with the best stories for reflection should be sufficient. However, the storytellers have always acted as if Allah's words were not enough, and have behaved as though the Qur'an needs their imagination to 'explain' it.
Folklore of the storytellers
Very early on, a knowledge gap quickly appeared between the scholars and the average person. Into this knowledge gap stepped the storytellers, known as the 'Qussas'. These people understood that the average person did not have the temperament to listen to scholarly details, especially from the Qur'an and instead, would prefer to listen to emotional tales and magical ideas of the afterlife.
Ibn al‑Jawzi documented in 'Kitab al-Qussas wa'l-Mudhakkirin' (The Book of Storytellers and Admonishers), how storytellers defended their lies. When caught out, they claimed they were lying for Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and not against him. But the Qur'an warns us not to "...uphold what you have no knowledge of; for the hearing, and eyesight, and mind—all these you are responsible for" (17:36). Individuals are solely responsible for obtaining the correct knowledge and this duty cannot be transferred to any one else.
The storytellers often invented exaggerated rewards for simple actions, such as promising palaces made of pearls in paradise, just for reciting a phrase. They also added cinematic scenes about the afterlife, speaking of giant angels and snakes, imagined conversations in the grave, imagined conversations with Allah on the day of judgement and so on. They consistently refer to details of the unseen beyond what the Qur'an itself describes.
They shifted attention from the Qur'an to miracle‑stories about holy men. The storytellers relied on eloquence to impress people, exactly in the same way the Qur'an describes the hypocrites (those who were intent on destroying the Message from within) who "...when you see them, you are impressed by their physical stature; and when they speak, you listen to their eloquence..." (63:4) but really they are nothing except "...like blocks of wood propped-up..." (63:4) on the inside.
So we must ask ourselves where did they obtain such information when it was never 'detailed' in the Qur'an. It will be a lie against Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to claim he said these things, because he "...did not know what was the Book, nor what was faith..." (42:52) before the Qur'an was revealed. For example, certain details of the afterlife are already mentioned in the Qur'an as Allah "...has taught you what you did not know" (2:239, 4:113). It then makes no sense to then claim Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) received other details on the same subject outside of the Qur'an.
The storytellers were popular because they provided vivid, emotional accounts (often mirroring Jewish and Christian narratives), which the masses found more interesting than the Qur'an. This is despite the Qur'an warning against focussing on useless details. The Qur'an mentions the people of the cave, and later people arguing over their numbers instead of focusing on the lesson as the Qur'an says "...'my Lord is fully aware of their number, none know them except for a few'. So do not argue regarding them except with proof, and do not seek information regarding them from anyone" (18:22). The storytellers are effectively placing their imaginations above the text of the Qur'an.
Companions fought the guesswork
Even within later historical reports, which themselves must be approached cautiously, the companions understood the danger of storytellers immediately. Ibn al‑Jawzi has recorded that the second caliph Umar, physically stopped storytellers because he recognised the stories would blur the line between religion and folklore. He was concerned the Muslims would become like people where "...they follow conjecture, and that is because they only guess" (6:116), or "most of them only follow conjecture..." (10:36), or "...they only follow conjecture, and they only guess" (10:66), or "...they have no knowledge about this; they only conjecture" (45:24), or "...they only follow conjecture, and personal desire..." (53:23), or "...they only followed conjecture. And conjecture is no substitute for the truth" (53:28).
This attitude was not restricted to Umar only. The fourth caliph Ali expelled storytellers from the mosque of Basra, allowing only Qur'anic reciters to remain. Ibn Abbas reminded the people that the Qur'an was 'the latest news from Allah' agreeing with the Qur'an when it rhetorically asks "...so, in which narrative after Allah and His revelations do they believe?" (45:6).
These senior companions fought the storytellers because they were fighting for the survival of the Qur'anic message. People only follow guesswork when they don't know the Qur'an. Allah describes the people of the past "...who do not know the Book except by hearsay, and they only conjecture" (2:78). If people were indeed attached to the Book of Allah, they would have no reason to resort to following guesswork.
Birth of a parallel religion
Over time, storytelling created a second religion. A religion based on emotional tales, fabricated virtues, and exaggerated rewards. People memorised thousands of stories but remained ignorant of the Qur'an's basic commands. They cried during performances but felt bored during proper Qur'anic recitation.
People trusted storytellers because of their charisma even though they tell a "...baseless narrative with which to mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge, and to make it a mockery..." (31:6).
Ahmed ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali school, is reported to have quoted 'the most lying of people are the storytellers (qussas) and the beggars'. He grouped both together because of their shared motive of making money - the beggar lies about his poverty and the storyteller lies about Allah and His prophets. Another quote attributed to him was 'how useful they (storytellers) are to the masses, even if the mass of what they narrate is untrue'.
Example: Tarawih
During Ramadan, the 'Ferrari Imam' is praised for racing through the Qur'an in Tarawih salat, often slurring the words of Allah. Those who recite with care are criticised for being too slow. The goal becomes finishing the Qur'an and not understanding it. Yet Allah directly commands the opposite when he says "...recite the Qur'an in its distinct way" (73:4). This verse when applied to the Qur'an, signifies recitation in a calm and measured way, giving consideration to the meaning. Allah wants reflection and not speed or performance.
You see many people speaking to each other in hushed tones throughout the recitation of the Qur'an, particularly in the first unit, only to then jump up to join the salat when the Imam enters the bowing position. This is so they do not miss out on the units. The most important discourse throughout Ramadhan is whether Tarawih is 20 units or 8 units. The focus has shifted from the Qur'an to the ritual performance.
But people have been conditioned to treat Tarawih like a rat race, where the imam who finishes the quickest is celebrated the most. This behaviour openly contradicts the Qur'an. And the contradiction becomes even clearer after the Tarawih salat has finished.
People suddenly have plenty of time for long speeches, sitting through exaggerated stories about Ramadan rewards, tales of multiplied deeds, guaranteed forgiveness, and fantastical virtues with no Qur'anic basis. The same storyteller culture remains to this day.
Example: Tablighi Jamaat
A similar pattern appears with Tablighi Jamaat - a missionary group originating from the Indian subcontinent. People with no knowledge are given a platform to deliver long emotional speeches inside mosques. The speeches often repeat the same storyteller‑style tales and virtue‑narrations that the companions fought against. They rely on emotion, repetition, and unverifiable claims and not on knowledge or understanding.
Mosques are meant to be places where Allah's words are central as the Qur'an says "...the mosques are for Allah, so do not call on anyone with Allah" (72:18), and not platforms for human storytelling. But in many communities, the mosque has become a stage for speeches and a complete disregard of the Qur'an. When this group visit a mosque, they usually stay for a few days, giving multiple speeches each day. However, they will never speak from the Qur'an. The main basis of their knowledge is a book called 'Fadil-e-Amal' (Virtues of Deeds), which contains many of the exaggerated fabricated virtue stories and a total absence of any moral guidance.
Mosques are meant to be places where Allah's words are central as the Qur'an says "...the mosques are for Allah, so do not call on anyone with Allah" (72:18), and not platforms for human storytelling. But in many communities, the mosque has become a stage for speeches and a complete disregard of the Qur'an. When this group visit a mosque, they usually stay for a few days, giving multiple speeches each day. However, they will never speak from the Qur'an. The main basis of their knowledge is a book called 'Fadil-e-Amal' (Virtues of Deeds), which contains many of the exaggerated fabricated virtue stories and a total absence of any moral guidance.
A recurring example is when they describe huge palaces in paradise for making a single utterance, whereas Allah say "...no person knows what is being hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do" (32:17).
This is exactly how Satan diverts believers. He does not tempt people with obvious sins. Instead, he distorts praiseworthy actions until they lose their sincerity. He replaces the Qur'an with emotional speeches, and people follow them thinking they are doing good deeds.
Qur'an is side-lined
In some sessions, the Qur'an is recited just briefly at the beginning, while the long storytelling sessions dominate the night. Even then, the focus of any Qur'anic recitation is on the performance rather than the meaning. The lack of knowledge is totally apparent as audience members loudly exclaim 'masha-Allah' (what Allah has willed) as they react to the reciter's melody or breath control, with 'masha-Allah' taking the place of 'bravo'.
The Qur'an repeatedly commands people to "...reflect on the Qur’an..." (4:82 and 47:24), and "...reflect upon its revelations..." (38:29). In the early days, if a verse was recited, the reaction was not a shout of 'masha-Allah', but silence, weeping, or seeking refuge in Allah. The Qur'an tells us that "the believers are those whom, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts reverence; and when His revelations are recited to them, it increases their faith..." (8:2). When people today exclaim 'masha-Allah', particularly during a verse of punishment, it suggests they are only listening to the tune and not paying any attention to the Qur'an. Sadly, people today "...treat it simply as
paper for display..." (6:91).
Cheat code for entire Qur'an
A classic narrative is how reciting the 112th chapter of the Qur'an - Surah Ikhlas - is equivalent to one third of the Qur'an, as narrated by Abu Hurairah and others. This chapter consists of three divine verses. Even if this report was accepted at face value, it would indicate one third of the Qur'an is dedicated to the Oneness of Allah and these three verses capture the essentials of this pillar of faith.
However, the storytellers stepped in and changed this into a mathematical shortcut. They declared that if reciting the chapter is equal to one third of the entire Qur'an, then reciting it three times is the same as reciting the whole Qur'an. This logic effectively creates a shortcut for the masses, bypassing the six thousand plus verses which deal with topics on justice, social reform, personal conduct etc.
While such people may claim the reward of reciting the entire Qur'an, they will always be devoid of its guidance. Why would anyone invest time to "...reflect upon its revelations..." (38:29) when they have already been promised the same 'reward' for just thirty seconds of chanting. In the end, this 'useful lie' only satisfies the ego. By adopting such methods, the Muslims today have become like the Jews and Christians "...who do not know the Book except by hearsay, and they only conjecture" (2:78).
Conclusion
The rise of storytellers in early Islam show how easily a community can drift, when emotion replaces revelation. Although the Qur'an already presents itself as complete, detailed, and sufficient, the storytellers acted as if Allah's words were not enough. They filled the religion with exaggerated rewards, miracle‑tales, and dramatic scenes.
The same pattern survives today in rushed Tarawih, emotional conference speakers, and unqualified preachers—such as those in Tablighi Jamaat—who turn mosques into platforms for human stories instead of spaces for Allah's remembrance.
This is the subtle diversion that has always misled believers: not open sin, but the distortion of good deeds until they lose their sincerity.
The only way back is to silence the storytellers, reject conjecture, and return to the Qur'an that Allah has promised to preserve. The more we elevate the storytellers and their baseless narratives, the further away we get from the Qur'an. We must always strive for the Qur'an, so that Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) is not referring to us on the day of judgement when he will say "...my Lord, my people have deserted this Qur'an" (25:30).