Sahih Muslim Book - 50, Hadith - 7098

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَعَلِىُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِىُّ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ - يَعْنُونَ ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ - أَخْبَرَنِى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لاَ يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ فَحَدِّثُونِى مَا هِىَ ». فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِى شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِى. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَوَقَعَ فِى نَفْسِى أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ ثُمَّ قَالُوا حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِىَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ « هِىَ النَّخْلَةُ ». قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ قَالَ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَ هِىَ النَّخْلَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا.

'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'Among the trees is one whose leaves do not fall, and it is like the Muslim. Tell me what it is.' The people started to name trees of the desert." 'Abdullah said: "It occurred to me that it was the date palm, but I felt too shy (to speak). Then they said: 'Tell us what it is, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'It is the date palm.' "I mentioned that to 'Umar and he said: 'If you had said, "it is the date palm," that would have been dearer to me than such and such."'