The Ruling on Quoting Anecdotes from Books of Literature to Entertain Guests

Question:
Honorable Shaykh! Is quoting anecdotes found in books of literature for the purpose of entertaining guests and companions, while prefacing the speech by mentioning it or quoting it in a form of attribution (saying "it is said" or "it is reported"), considered to be the blameworthy kind of lying?

Answer:
If these anecdotes are factual, there is no harm in mentioning them; there is no harm in mentioning them. And if they are in a book and the author is known for his piety and trustworthiness, there is no harm in saying, "So-and-so mentioned in his book such-and-such," like Ibn al-Jawzi, for example, in his book *Anecdotes of Fools and Simpletons*. Ibn al-Jawzi is a great imam, so if you attribute it to the book, that is sufficient. However, do not overdo this. This can be your occupation, but sometimes it is like salt for food—like salt for food. It should not be a profession of joking and making people laugh. Rather, when an occasion arises or boredom sets in during the gathering, a bit of this type is permissible. Yes.