Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tirmidhi:2867Isḥāq b. Mūsá al-Anṣārī > Maʿn > Mālik > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

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.'"  

الترمذي:٢٨٦٧حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

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  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:61Qutaybah > Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 then asked, "What is that tree, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree."  

البخاري:٦١حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

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 هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ  

bukhari:62Khālid b. Makhlad > Sulaymān > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

The Prophet ﷺ 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. The others then asked, "Please inform us what is that tree, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree."  

البخاري:٦٢حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لاَ يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ حَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ قَالَ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ ثُمَّ قَالُوا حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ  

bukhari:131Ismāʿīl > Mālik > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

Once Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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."  

البخاري:١٣١حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لاَ 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 ﷺ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَحَدَّثْتُ أَبِي بِمَا وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي فَقَالَ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا  

muslim:2811aYaḥyá b. Ayyūb And Qutaybah b. Saʿīd Waʿalī b. Ḥujr al-Saʿdī Wa-al-Lafẓ Liyaḥyá > Ismāʿīl Yaʿnūn Ibn Jaʿfar > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar

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.  

مسلم:٢٨١١aحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَعْنُونَ ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ يَقُولُ

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  

ahmad:6052Hāshim And Ḥujayn > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of a believer is like a tree that does not shed its leaves." He then mentioned people falling into the "trees" of the Bedouins, and in my heart, I knew it was the palm tree. I felt shy to speak, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "It is the palm tree." I mentioned this to Umar, and he asked, "My son, what prevented you from speaking? By Allah, it would have been more beloved to me than to have this and that."  

أحمد:٦٠٥٢حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمٌ وَحُجَيْنٌ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ مَثَلُ شَجَرَةٍ لَا تَطْرَحُ وَرَقَهَا قَالَ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَدْوِ وَوَقَعَ فِي قَلْبِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِعُمَرَ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ؟ فَوَاللهِ لَأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْيَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا  

ahmad:6468ʿUmar b. Saʿd / Abū Dāwud al-Ḥafarī > Sufyān > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

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)   

أحمد:٦٤٦٨حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ وَهُوَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْحَفَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

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  

ahmad:5274ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmr > Mālik > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

[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.'"  

أحمد:٥٢٧٤حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

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  

ذِكْرُ خَبَرٍ ثَانٍ يُصَرِّحُ بِصِحَّةِ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ

ibnhibban:246Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Sāmī > Yaḥyá b. Ayyūb al-Maqābirī > Ismāʿīl b. Jaʿfar > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

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)  

ابن حبّان:٢٤٦أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السَّامِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ الْمَقَابِرِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ وَأَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ ابْنَ عُمَرَ قَالَ

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  

قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: {كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ} [إبراهيم: 24]

nasai-kubra:11197ʿAlī b. Ḥujr > Ismāʿīl > ʿAbdullāh b. Dīnār > Ibn ʿUmar

Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 then asked, "What is that tree, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree." (Using translation from Bukhārī 61)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١١١٩٧أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ شَجَرَةً لَا يَسْقُطُ وَرَقُهَا وَإِنَّهَا مِثْلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَحَدِّثُونِي مَا هِيَ؟» قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ فَوَقَعَ النَّاسُ فِي شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي وَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ فَقَالُوا حَدِّثْنَا مَا هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ «هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ»