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.
suyuti:2577a

The Prophet ﷺ said, "When you are three persons sitting together, then no two of you should hold secret counsel excluding the third person until you are with some other people too, for that would grieve him." (Using translation from Bukhārī 6290)   

السيوطي:٢٥٧٧a

"إذَا كُنْتُمْ ثلاثةً فلا يتناجَى رجلانِ دونَ الآخر، حتَّى تختلطوا بالنَّاسِ، فإِنَّ ذلك يَحْزُنُه" .  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [ت] الترمذي [هـ] ابن ماجة عن ابن مسعود

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān
bukhari:6290ʿUthmān > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

The Prophet ﷺ said, "When you are three persons sitting together, then no two of you should hold secret counsel excluding the third person until you are with some other people too, for that would grieve him."  

البخاري:٦٢٩٠حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ {إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَلاَ يَتَنَاجَى رَجُلاَنِ دُونَ الآخَرِ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِطُوا بِالنَّاسِ أَجْلَ أَنْ يُحْزِنَهُ}  

muslim:2184a[Chain 1] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Hannād b. al-Sarī > Abū al-Aḥwaṣ > Manṣūr [Chain 2] Zuhayr b. Ḥarb And ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah Waʾisḥāq b. Ibrāhīm Wa-al-Lafẓ Lizuhayr > Isḥāq > al-Ākharān > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

If you are three, two amongst you should not converse secretly between yourselves to the exclusion of the other (third one), unti some other people join him (and dispel his loneliness), for it may hurt his feelings.  

مسلم:٢١٨٤aحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَهَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَاللَّفْظُ لِزُهَيْرٍ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَلاَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ الآخَرِ حَتَّى تَخْتَلِطُوا بِالنَّاسِ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنْ يُحْزِنَهُ  

muslim:2184bYaḥyá b. Yaḥyá And ʾAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Ibn Numayr Waʾabū Kurayb Wa-al-Lafẓ Liyaḥyá > Yaḥyá > al-Ākharūn > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > ʿAbdullāh

If you are three, two should not converse secretly to the exclusion of your companion for that hurts his feelings.  

مسلم:٢١٨٤bوَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَلاَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ  

ibnmajah:3775Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > Abū Muʿāwiyah And Wakīʿ > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > ʿAbdullāh

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad."  

ابن ماجة:٣٧٧٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَوَكِيعٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاَثَةً فَلاَ يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ  

ahmad:4039Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > ʿAbdullāh

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3775)  

أحمد:٤٠٣٩حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ  

ahmad:3560Isḥāq > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3775)  

أحمد:٣٥٦٠حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَان اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يَحْزُنُهُ  

ahmad:4106Wakīʿ > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3775)   

أحمد:٤١٠٦حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَ اثْنَانِ دُونَ وَاحِدٍ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ  

darimi:2699ʿUbaydullāh b. Mūsá > al-Aʿmash > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3775)  

الدارمي:٢٦٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْخَبَرِ الْمُصَرِّحِ بِصِحَّةِ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ قَبْلُ

ibnhibban:583ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad al-Azdī > Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh > Ibn Masʿūd > Rasūl

"When you are three, two should not converse (privately) to the exclusion of their companion, because that makes him sad." (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3775)   

ابن حبّان:٥٨٣أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ هُوَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فَلَا يَتَنَاجَى اثْنَانِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِمَا حَتَّى يَخْتَلِطُوا بِالنَّاسِ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ يُحْزِنُهُ»