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: Messenger of Allah, (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.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لاَ 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 فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ قَالَ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

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.'"  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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  

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: Messenger of Allah, (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. (Using translation from Muslim 2811a)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مَثَلُ الرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ قَالَ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُفِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي وَكُنْتُ مِنْ أَحْدَثِ النَّاسِ وَوَقَعَ فِي صَدْرِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِأَبِي فَقَالَ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

[Machine] "The Prophet ﷺ said, 'What tree does not drop its leaves while it is a similitude of the believer? Or (he said), the Muslim?' The people then fell into discussion about the desert tree. Ibn 'Umar said, 'I felt in myself that it was the date-palm tree.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'It is the date-palm tree.' I mentioned this to Umar and he said, 'To have said that would have been dearer to me than such and such.'"  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا شَجَرَةٌ لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَهِيَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ؟ أَوْ قَالَ الْمُسْلِمِ قَالَ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ فَقَالَ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا  

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: Messenger of Allah, (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. (Using translation from Muslim 2811a)  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةٌ لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مِثْلُ الْمُسْلِمِ فَحَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ؟ » فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ ثُمَّ قَالُوا حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ «هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ» فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ فَقَالَ لِأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا