Ibn al-Jawzi also said in the introduction to ‘al-Muntadham fi Tarikh al-Muluk wal-Umam’: “Know that reading stories and history has many benefits. The most important is that it is a means to learning about the most amazing things, significant events in history, the manifestation of destiny, and coming across facts. The soul experiences relaxation when learning facts. Abu ‘Amr bin al-’Ala’ said that it was said to a man from Bakr bin Wa’il who had become old and was no longer able to enjoy the pleasure of food, drink, or marriage: “Do you long for death?” He said: “No,” and he was asked: “What is left for you to enjoy in this world?” He said: “Hearing these amazing stories.”"