حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ أَيُّوبَ وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَی قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَعِيلُ يَعْنُونَ ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ مِنْ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ فَحَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ ثُمَّ قَالُوا حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ قَالَ فَذَکَرْتُ ذَلِکَ لِعُمَرَ قَالَ لَأَنْ تَکُونَ قُلْتَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ کَذَا وَکَذَا
صحیح مسلم · Hadith 7098
Abdullah b. Umar reported that Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: There is a tree amongst trees, the leaves of which do not wither and that is like a Muslim; tell me which that (tree) can be? The people began to think of the trees of the forest. Abdullah said: I thought that it could be the date-palm tree, but I felt hesitant (to say that). They (the Companions) then said: Allah's Messenger, (kindly) tell us which that can be? Thereupon he said: It is the date-palm tree. I made a mention of that to 'Umar, whereupon he said: Had you said that it meant the date-palin tree, this statement of yours (would have been dearer to me) than such and such things.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020