English Translation

Mu'ammal told us: Hammad told us: Thabit told us, from Anas, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Medina when I was nine years old. Umm Sulaym took me to the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is my son; take him into your service." So I served the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for nine years, and he never said to me about anything I did, "Why did you do such-and-such?" nor did he ever say to me about anything I did not do, "Why did you not do such-and-such?" One day he came to me while I was playing with the boys — or he said, with the children — and he greeted us and called me, and sent me on an errand. When I returned, he said, "Do not tell anyone." And I was delayed with my mother; when I came to her she said, "My son, what kept you?" I said, "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me on an errand of his." She said, "And what was it?" I said, "He said, do not tell anyone about it." She said, "O my son, then keep the secret of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him."