The Prophet of Allah ﷺ had Muaz bin Jabal riding behind him on his mount.He said, "Muaz."Muaz replied, "At your service, Messenger of Allah, and at your pleasure."He said again, "Muaz."Muaz replied, "At your service, Messenger of Allah, and at your pleasure."He said a third time, "Muaz."Muaz replied, "At your service, Messenger of Allah, and at your pleasure."The Prophet said, "There is no servant who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger except that Allah forbids the Fire from touching him."Muaz asked, "Messenger of Allah, shall I not inform the people of this so they may rejoice?"He replied, "Then they will rely on it alone."Muaz disclosed it only at the time of his death, fearing the sin of withholding knowledge.
أن نبي الله ﷺ، ومعاذ بن جبل رديفه على الرحل قال: يا معاذ قال: لبيك رسول الله وسعديك. قال: يا معاذ قال: لبيك رسول الله وسعديك. قال: يا معاذ قال: لبيك رسول الله وسعديك. قال: ما من عبد يشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله إلا حرمه الله على النار. قال: يا رسول الله، أفلا أخبر بها الناس فيستبشروا؟ قال: إذا يتكلوا. فأخبر بها معاذ عند موته تأثما.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Knowledge (128), and Muslim in the Book of Faith (32), both of them from Ishaq bin Ibrahim, who said, Muaz bin Hisham narrated to us, who said, my father narrated to me, from Qatada, who said, Anas bin Malik narrated to us, and he mentioned something similar.It has been confirmed that Ali bin Abu Talib used to say, "O people, do you want Allah and His Messenger to be belied? Speak to people about what they can recognize, and leave aside what they would deny." In another wording, "Speak to people about what they can recognize. Would you like Allah and His Messenger to be belied?" Bayhaqi recorded it in Al-Madkhal (610), and Bukhari mentioned the second wording in the chapter heading of the Book of Knowledge (127).And from Abdullah bin Masud, who said, "You will not speak to people of a hadith that their minds cannot grasp without it becoming a trial for some of them." Bayhaqi narrated it in Al-Madkhal (611).