Is it permissible to mention stories of those who came before us in sermons and exhortations?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner asks: What is the ruling on the stories that came down regarding the Children of Israel, which do not contradict our Shari'ah? Is it permissible for the khatib to include some of them in the Friday sermon?

Answer:
The important point is that the khatib relies on what is authentic, on what has a sound chain, whether it is from the stories of those who came before us or from the stories of this Ummah; the criterion is authenticity. What came down regarding the Children of Israel, Ibn Kathir divided it in the beginning of his Tafsir into three categories.
One category is that our Shari'ah has confirmed, and this is accepted. One category is that our Shari'ah has denied, and this is rejected. One category is that our Shari'ah has been silent about, and this is the point of disagreement; it is neither confirmed nor denied. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "When the Children of Israel tell you something, " So one suspends judgment in the case of the one who does not know that it is false and does not know that it is true; one suspends judgment in it, neither denying it nor confirming it. Yes.