Harun Ar-Rasheed was a Righteous Khalifah
Question :
Some history books such as "A Thousand and One Nights" claim that the Khalifah Harun Ar-Rashid knew nothing but playing, drinking, and dancing with singers. Is what is written about him true?
Answer:
These are blatant lies; he was one of the most righteous of Khalifahs. He used to alternate between Hajj and Jihad each year. Many countries were conquered during his caliphate, during which time the Islamic nation expanded, peace reigned, and wealth increased. As a man, he had excellent character; he used to sit with the scholars, listen to them, cry upon hearing their sermons, pray during the night, and remember Allåh Almighty often. The book you mentioned contains many lies and the person who wrote it is of ill repute, a person who wanted to occupy the Muslims, causing them to neglect their duties, and waste their time with false stories that have no basis. And may Allah Almighty guide us all.
Source:
Ibn Jibreen
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 8 Page 335