Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:5023Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Sulaymān > Dhakwān > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When you are three, do not hold a private conversation excluding the third person." So I said to Ibn Umar, "What if they are four?" He said, "There is no harm in that."  

أحمد:٥٠٢٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ ذَكْوَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَ اثْنَانِ دُونَ وَاحِدٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ فَإِذَا كَانُوا أَرْبَعَةً قَالَ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ  


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Collected by Aḥmad, Suyūṭī
ahmad:5501Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah

When there are three (persons), two should not converse secretly between themselves to the exclusion of the (third) one. (Using translation from Muslim 2183a)   

أحمد:٥٥٠١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ كُنْتُ مَعَ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَا وَرَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ

ابْنُ عُمَرَ اسْتَأْخِرَا فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ وَاحِدٍ