407—My father narrated to me, from one of his teachers, who said: Muāwiyah—may Allah be pleased with him—confided something to al-Walīd ibn Utbah. Al-Walīd then said to his father, “Father, the Commander of the Faithful has confided something to me, and I do not think he would conceal from you what he disclosed to someone else.” His father replied, “Then do not tell me, for whoever keeps his secret retains control of it, while whoever divulges it places himself under another’s control.”

Al-Walīd said, “I asked, ‘Father, does this apply even between a man and his father?’ He replied, ‘No, by Allah, my son. I simply do not want you to accustom your tongue to divulging secrets.’”

I then went to Muāwiyah—may Allah be pleased with him—and told him what had happened. He said, “Walīd, my brother has freed you from bondage to error.”