Reference: ad-Durar an-Naadhirah fil-Fataaawa al-Mu’aasirah – Pages 644-645
al-Fowzaan – ad-Da’wah 1516, Jumaada al-Oolaa 1416AH
Question: What is the ruling regarding reading or writing fictional stories and those which arouse the imagination?
And if some of them [aid in] rectify[ing] social problems, then is this permissible?
Response: Fictional stories are from lies which occupy the time of the writer and the reader without benefit, so abandoning busying oneself with them is preferable. And if writing and reading [fictional stories] occupies oneself from that which is obligatory then this [fictional stories] is prohibited. And if it occupies oneself from that which is recommended then this [fictional stories] is disliked. In any case, the time of the Muslim is valuable, so it is not permissible to spend it in that which there is no benefit.
