Compiled by Imam Abu Isa at-Tirmidhi
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لاَ يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَهِيَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ حَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ " . قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ " . فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَحَدَّثْتُ عُمَرَ بِالَّذِي وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي . فَقَالَ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه .
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.'"