Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab): Hadith 143

Arabic Text

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 ‏"‏‏.‏ وَعَنْ شُعْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا خُبَيْبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ مِثْلَهُ وَزَادَ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهِ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ لَوْ كُنْتَ قُلْتَهَا لَكَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: The Prophet 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 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."