Riyāḍ uṣ-Ṣāliḥīn · Chapter 281 of 372
Prohibition of two Holding Secret Counsel to the Exclusion of Conversing together a Third
The Book of the Prohibited Actions – Chapter 281 : Ahadith 1598 – 1599
Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (d. 676 AH)
🎧 Listen to all hadiths in Arabic Ch 281 H 1598 – 1599
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Allah, the Exalted says:
إِنَّمَا ٱلنَّجۡوَىٰ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ
“Secret counsels (conspiracies) are only from Shaitan (Satan).”
[Al-Mujādilah 58:10]
1598 Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu anhuma) said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “In the presence of three people, two should not hold secret counsel, to the exclusion of the third.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In Abu Dawud, Abu Salih related: I asked Ibn `Umar: “What if there are four people.” He said, “There is no harm in that.”
Malik reported in Al-Muwatta that `Abdullah bin Dinar related: Ibn `Umar and I were together in Khalid bin `Uqbah’s house which was situated in the market place. A man came to consult Ibn `Umar. None besides me was present. Ibn `Umar called another man in and we became four and said to me and the man he had called: Move away a bit because I have heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, “The two people should not hold secret counsel together excluding the third.”
1599 Ibn Mas`ud (radiyallahu anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When three of you are together, two of you must not converse privately ignoring the third till the number increases, lest the third should be grieved.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].