44/32. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2482a — Keeping the Prophet’s Secret
The Virtues Of Anas bin Malik (RA)
Hadith About Keeping a Secret in Islam
Sahih Muslim : 2482a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2482a
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ نَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ أَتَى عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا أَلْعَبُ مَعَ الْغِلْمَانِ - قَالَ - فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْنَا فَبَعَثَنِي إِلَى حَاجَةٍ فَأَبْطَأْتُ عَلَى أُمِّي فَلَمَّا جِئْتُ قَالَتْ مَا حَبَسَكَ قُلْتُ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِحَاجَةٍ . قَالَتْ مَا حَاجَتُهُ قُلْتُ إِنَّهَا سِرٌّ . قَالَتْ لاَ تُحَدِّثَنَّ بِسِرِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحَدًا . قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ حَدَّثْتُ بِهِ أَحَدًا لَحَدَّثْتُكَ يَا ثَابِتُ .
Anas Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to me as I was playing with playmates. He greeted and sent me on an errand and I made delay in going to my mother. When I came to her she said: What detained you? I said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me on an errand. She said: What was the purpose? I said: It is something secret. Thereupon she said: Do not then divulge the secret of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to anyone. Anas said: By Allah, if I were to divulge it to anyone, then, O Thabit, I would have divulged it to you.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2482aIn-book reference : Book 44, Hadith 208USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 31, Hadith 6065
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2482a
This Hadith about keeping a secret in Islam gives a clear lesson from Anas. He says Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم came to him while he was playing with boys. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم greeted them and sent Anas on an errand. When Anas returned late to his mother, she asked why he was delayed. He said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had sent him for a need. When she asked what it was, he replied that it was a secret. His mother then told him not to reveal the secret of Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم to anyone. Anas later said that if he had told anyone, he would have told Thabit. The message is plain: trusted matters should be kept private.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم greeted children and sent Anas on an errand.
- Anas understood that the errand was a secret.
- Umm Sulaim taught Anas not to reveal the Prophet’s secret.
