In this way he retained in his mind the repealed order and...

In this way he retained in his mind the repealed order and did not know the repealing tradition. If he knew that it had been repealed he would reject it; and if the Muslims knew, when they heard it from him, that it had been repealed, they would reject it.

"[Fourth]: The fourth is the man who does not speak a lie against the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny); he hates falsehood for fear of Allah and respect for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny). He does not forget, but retains (in his mind) exactly what he heard (from the Prophet), and he narrates it as he heard it without adding anything or omitting anything.

He knows the abrogating (tradition) and the abrogated; so he acts upon the abrogating (tradition) and leaves the abrogated. He knows that the orders of the Prophet (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny) are like the orders of the Qur'an, and like the Qur'an it contains the abrogating and the abrogated, the general and the particular, and the firm and the ambiguous.

And some times the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny) had two connotations: the general and the particular, as the Qur'an has. Allah, the Glorified, the High, says in his Book: 'And whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back. ‘(al-Hashr 59:7).

Thus the connotation became obscure for him who did not know or understand what was its meaning intended by Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny). "Not all the companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny) were in the habit of asking him about a thing; and not all those who asked could understand (the reply); and not all those who understood could retain it in memory.

Indeed there were among them many who never asked him about anything; and they always wished that some bedouin or stranger might come, and ask the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny) something, so that they would also listen. "I used to go to him once in day time and once at night, and he used to receive me all alone; he replied to my questions, and I turned with him wherever he turned to.

The companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace from Allah be on him and his progeny) knew that he never did so with anyone else.