"Without my family noticing"

Ad-Dhahabi writes:

عن أبي العالية ، قال : تعلمت الكتابة والقرآن فما شعر ب أهلي ، ولا رئي في ثوبي مداد قط

ENGLISH:

“Abu Al-'Aliyah is narrated to have said: "I learned writing and the Qur`ân without my family noticing, and not a drop of ink was ever seen on my garment.”

NEDERLANDS:

Abu Al-'Aliyah is overgeleverd te hebben gezegd: "Ik leerde schrijven en de Qur'an zonder dat mijn ahl (familie) daarvan afwist en nooit was inkt op mijn kleren te zien".

["Siyar A'lam An-Nubala", 4/105].