Tirmidhi Book 44, Hadith 2867

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاق بْنُ مُوسَى الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَهِيَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ ؟ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ:‏‏‏‏ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:‏‏‏‏ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ:‏‏‏‏ فَحَدَّثْتُ عُمَرَ بِالَّذِي وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَفِي الْبَابِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ.

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Indeed there is a tree that does not shed its foilage, and it is is similar to the believer. Can any of you tell me what it is? 'Abdullah said: The people started thinking about the trees of the desert. And it occurred to me that it may be the date-palm. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said: It is the date-palm. But I was shy - meaning to say anything. 'Abdullah said: So I informed 'Umar about what I had thought of, and he said: 'If you had said it, that would be more beloved to me than this or that.'