Al-Bukhārī included this report in his Sahīh under the heading, “Chapter on imparting knowledge to some people rather than others, for fear that they may not understand.” He also cited the hadith of Muʿādh ibn Jabal, in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him:

“Whoever testifies that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah will forbid the Fire to touch him.”

Muʿādh asked, “O Messenger of Allah, shall I not tell the people?”

He replied, “Then they would rely on that.”

Muʿādh related it when he was dying, for fear of incurring sin by withholding it.

As for his drawing an analogy between statements and actions, and his assertion that some actions are abstruse