Narrator:Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَارِبُ بْنُ دِثَارٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم "
مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَمَثَلِ شَجَرَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ، لاَ يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا، وَلاَ يَتَحَاتُّ ". فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ هِيَ شَجَرَةُ كَذَا. هِيَ شَجَرَةُ كَذَا، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَقُولَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ. وَأَنَا غُلاَمٌ شَابٌّ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ، فَقَالَ " هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ "
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The example of a believer is like a green tree, the leaves of which do not fall." The people said. "It is such-and-such tree: It is such-and-such tree." I intended to say that it was the datepalm tree, but I was a young boy and felt shy (to answer). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is the date-palm tree." Ibn `Umar added, " I told that to `Umar who said, 'Had you said it, I would have preferred it to such-and such a thing."
Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 6122).