Sahih al-Bukhari 131
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
Once Allah's Messenger (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."
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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 صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَحَدَّثْتُ أَبِي بِمَا وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي فَقَالَ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏