“except with his permission, for that saddens him.”
The second: from Abdullah ibn Dinar, from him, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “Two should not converse privately to the exclusion of one.” Malik (3/151)—whose version this is—, Ibn Majah (2/415), and Ahmad (2/9, 60, 62, 73, and 79) narrated it through various routes from him.
The third: from Abu Salih—Dhakwan—from him, with the same wording. Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (1170), as did Abu Dawud (2/562), Abu Ya‘la in his Musnad (3/1351), and Ahmad (2/18, 42, and 141), who added: “He said: I asked Ibn Umar, ‘What if there are four of them?’ He replied, ‘Then there is no harm in it.’” Its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
The fourth: from Yahya ibn Hibban, from him. Ahmad narrated it (2/32).
The fifth: from Sa‘id al-Maqburi, from him, attributed to the Prophet with the same meaning. Ahmad narrated it (2/114 and 138).
- As for the hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud, Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah narrated it from him, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “When there are three of you, two should not converse privately to the exclusion of the third, for that saddens him.”
Al-Bukhari narrated it (11/68), as did al-Adab al-Mufrad (1169), Muslim (7/13), Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi (4/27—Tuhfah), al-Darimi (2/282), Ibn Majah, and Ahmad (1/375, 425, 430, 431, 438, 440, 460, 464, and 465) through various routes from him. Al-Tirmidhi said: “It is a good, authentic hadith.” In a narration of al-Bukhari and Muslim, it is worded: “Two should not converse privately to the exclusion of the other until you mingle with other people, because that saddens him.”