Gatherings are held in trust

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The Prophet ﷺ said:

«Gatherings are held in trust.» Ahmad no.15090, Abu Daawood no.4869 – and al-Albaanee classified it as Hasan.

So whoever divulges a secret, betrays family ties, violates sanctities, and intrudes on family privacies, then it is incumbent upon everyone present in a gathering to be trustworthy concerning what they hear and see.

Gatherings are convened in trust regarding the matters discussed therein, and their secrets must be preserved.

al-Hasan al-Basree رحمه الله said:

“Indeed, you only gather with us in trust. It is as if you think that betrayal is only related to deenaars and dirhams!”

There is no need for the speaker in a gathering to explicitly state that what he is saying is a trust or a secret that must be protected and preserved.

Rather, a mere glance from him during, before, or after his speech is sufficient proof that these words must remain a protected secret.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

«When a man speaks a word and then looks around, it is a trust.» Abu Daawood no.4868, at-Tirmidhee no.1959 – and al-Albaanee classified it as Hasan.

And whoever passes by a gathering and knows that they dislike having their conversation overheard, should pass them by without deliberately listening or eavesdropping.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

«Whoever eavesdrops on the conversation of people who dislike him doing so, molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.» – “al-aanuk” refers to molten lead. al-Bukhaaree no.7042

Part of the trustworthiness of gatherings also involves protecting them from prohibitions, such as backbiting, slandering and disparaging someone’s character or spreading rumors that harm their reputation.

Indeed, gatherings in which Allah is not remembered will be a source of regret for their participants on the Day of Resurrection.

So what about gatherings of indecency, obscenity, and devouring people’s flesh (slandering and backbiting them)?!

The Prophet ﷺ said:

«No group of people rise from a gathering in which they did not remember Allaah except that they rise as if from the carcass of a donkey, and it will be a source of regret for them on the Day of Resurrection.» Ahmad no.10965, Abu Daawood no.4855 – and al-Albaanee classified it as Saheeh.

Translation originally published on 25 July, 2025.