Revealing a secret is a kind of Khayanat and all types of people consider it to be evil. It is mentioned in the book Uqudul Farid that even a filthy man like Ziyad (May Allah (S.w.T.)’s curse be upon him) had criticised Umar Ibn Sā’d (May Allah’s curse be upon him too) for revealing the last wishes and the secret of Hazrat Muslim Ibn Aqīl. Ibn Ziyad (l.a.) had written to Umar Ibn Sā’d. “O Umar Ibn Sā’d! Because you yourself have revealed the secret of Husain’s coming towards Kufa, you would have to go and fight against him.”
The detail of this incident are from the book Nafasul Mahmūm and other books of Islamic history, and are as follows.
When Ibn Ziyad had Muslim Ibn Aqīl arrested, Muslim asked, “Would you murder me?”
“Yes,” replied Ibn Ziyad.
“Give me some time so that I can express my last wishes to a relative of mine.”
The accursed Ibn Ziyad permitted him to do so. Muslim searched among the people present in the court and saw Umar Ibn Sād. He told Umar Ibn Sād, “O Umar! We are related to each other. I wish something from you. It is obligatory for you to fulfill it and it is a secret that I cannot reveal to everyone.”
Umar Ibn Sād tried to Shirk the responsibility but Ibn Ziyad told him, “Do not try to avoid this. Listen to what your cousin wishes.” So Umar Ibn Sād and Muslim Ibn Aqīl went into a corner.
Muslim said, “There is debt upon my neck. When I had reached Kufa, I had borrowed seven hundred Dirhams. Please sell my armour and repay the loan. When I am killed take my last remains from Ibn Ziyad and perform a proper funeral and bury me. You must also send someone to Imam Husain (a.s.) so that he can stop him from coming to Kufa. I had myself invited him to Kufa and written that the people of Kufa are on his side. So he must have started his journey towards Kufa. Inform him of my arrest and execution so that he may turn back.”
Umar Ibn Sād immediately told Ibn Ziyad all the Three things (the debt of Muslim, the burying of his corpse and the warning for Imam Husain (a.s.). Ibn Ziyad (l.a.) said to Muslim Ibn Aqīl, “A trustworthy person can never betray you but the thing is that you have considered a betrayer to be your confidant.”