Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊
Our esteemed researcher has declared the mentioned narration weak in terms of its chain of transmission, and has further written that some parts of this hadith have supporting evidence in al-Bukhari and Muslim. Other researchers have declared the mentioned narration authentic, from which the opinion of the authenticity of the hadith appears closer to correctness.
And Allah knows best. For further details, see: (al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah, Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 19/244, 245; Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah by al-Albani, no. 3000; Sunan Ibn Majah, verified by Dr. Bashar ‘Awwad, no. 3700)

➋
The fundamental principle is that the younger should greet the elder with salam.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The younger should greet the elder, the one passing by should greet the one sitting, and the smaller group should greet the larger group.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Istidhān, Chapter: The Young Should Greet the Elder, Hadith: 6234)

➌
For the upbringing of children, an elder may greet the younger with salam.

➍
This expresses compassion towards children and removes arrogance from the heart.

Hadith Commentary:
In the narration of Darimi, it is stated that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had sent me for a certain task, due to which I reached my mother late.
My mother asked the reason for the delay, and I replied that it was a confidential matter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Then my mother also said the same: that the confidential matter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) should not be disclosed to anyone. However, what is meant here by "confidential matter" is that secret whose disclosure could potentially harm a Muslim brother.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In one narration, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent me for a task, due to which I reached my mother late. When my mother asked the reason for the delay, I said: It was a secret matter of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). In another narration, it is mentioned that the mother also emphasized not to disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to anyone. (Sahih Muslim, Fada’il al-Sahabah, Hadith: 6378(2482), and Fath al-Bari: 11/98)
(2)
It appears that this secret was specific to the noble wives (azwaj mutahharat, radi Allahu anha), because if it had been a religious or scholarly matter, then concealing it would not have been permissible at all. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has written that the secret referred to here is that whose disclosure could potentially harm a Muslim brother. (Fath al-Bari: 11/99)

Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
This hadith establishes that some secrets are to be kept so concealed that they cannot be disclosed even after the person’s death.
For this reason, Anas radi Allahu anhu did not inform his distinguished student of your secret even after your passing.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Children should be greeted with salam; there is nothing demeaning in this for an adult. Rather, it is an expression of teaching and nurturing children, as well as showing affection and love towards them.

➋ Our esteemed researcher has declared this narration weak in its chain of transmission, whereas Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has said regarding this narration that the words mentioned in it (“and he sat in the shade of a wall...”) are not authentic, but the rest of the narration is authentic.