and he said what do i have to do with this curiosity? and he did not weave in his chest the heat of these doubts. he cut off greed from him and if he saw him thirsty for it he promised him at a specific time and ordered him to present fasting prayer and repentance before it. and the matter of this hidden secret was so great that when the appointed time came he said to him these secrets are hidden and cannot be deposited except in a fortified secret so fortify your safe haven and secure its entrances until i deposit it in it. then the respondent said and what is his way? he said that i take gods covenant and pledge to conceal this secret and to take care of it and not waste it for it is the precious pearl and the valuable cloak and the lowest degree of… the one who desires it must protect it from being lost. allah did not entrust these secrets to his prophets except after taking their covenant and pledge. he recited the words of allah the most high {and when we took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from noah} and allah the most high said {among the believers are men true to what they promised allah} and allah the most high said {and do not break oaths after their confirmation} . as for the prophet may allah bless him and grant him peace he did not divulge it except after taking the covenant from the caliphs and taking the pledge of allegiance from the ansar under the tree. so if you are interested swear to me to keep it secret and you will be in the best after him. if you are successful in attaining it in fact you will be extremely happy and if your soul is disgusted by it then it is no wonder for everyone is facilitated for what he was created for. we consider it as if you did not hear or swear and there is no harm to you in a true oath. if he refuses to swear we will leave him and if he is generous and answers we will direct the oath and fulfill it.
به وقال مالي ولهذا الفضول وكان لا يحيك في صدره حرارة هذه الشكوك قطع الطمع عنه وان رآه متعطشا اليه وعده في وقت معين وأمره بتقديم الصوم والصلاة والتوبة قبله وعظم امر هذا السر المكتوم حتى اذا وافى الميعاد قال له ان هذه الاسرار مكتومة لا تودع الا في سر محصن فحصن حرزك واحكم مداخله حتى اودعه فيه فيقول المستجيب وما طريقه فيقول ان آخذ عهد الله وميثاقه على كتمان هذا السر ومراعاته عن التضييع فانه الدر الثمين والعلق النفيس وادنى درجات الراغب فيه صيانته عن التضييع وما اودع الله هذه الاسرار أنبياءه الا بعد أخذه عهدهم وميثاقهم وتلا قوله تعالى {وإذ أخذنا من النبيين ميثاقهم ومنك ومن نوح} الاية وقال تعالى {من المؤمنين رجال صدقوا ما عاهدوا الله عليه} وقال تعالى {ولا تنقضوا الأيمان بعد توكيدها} وأما النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فلم يفشه الا بعد أخذ العهد على الخلفاء واخذ البيعة على الانصار تحت الشجرة فان كنت راغبا فاحلف لي على كتمانه وانت بالخيرة بعده فان وفقت لدرك حقيقته سعدت سعادة عظيمة وان اشمأزت نفسك عنه فلا غرو فان كلا ميسر لما خلق له ونحن نقدر كانك لم تسمع ولم تحلف ولا ضير عليك في يمين صادقة فان أبى الحلف خلاه وإن انعم وأجاب فيه وجه الحلف واستوفاه