حَدَّثَنَا
إِسْمَاعِيلُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي
مَالِكٌ ، عَنْ
عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ ، عَنْ
عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَهِيَ مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ ، حَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ ؟ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَادِيَةِ ، وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ ، فَقَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، أَخْبِرْنَا بِهَا ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ " ، قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ : فَحَدَّثْتُ أَبِي بِمَا وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي ، فَقَالَ : لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا .
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Once Allah's Apostle said, "Amongst the trees there is a tree, the leaves of which do not fall and is like a Muslim, tell me the name of that tree." Everybody started thinking about the trees of the desert areas and I thought of the date-palm tree but felt shy (to answer). The others asked, "O Allah's Apostle! inform us of it." He replied, "it is the date-palm tree." I told my father what had come to my mind and on that he said, "Had you said it I would have preferred it to such and such a thing that I might possess."