حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَخْبِرُونِي بِشَجَرَةٍ مَثَلُهَا مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ، تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا، وَلاَ تَحُتُّ وَرَقَهَا ". فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ وَثَمَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ، فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ ". فَلَمَّا خَرَجْتُ مَعَ أَبِي قُلْتُ يَا أَبَتَاهْ وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ. قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَهَا لَوْ كُنْتَ قُلْتَهَا كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا. قَالَ مَا مَنَعَنِي إِلاَّ أَنِّي لَمْ أَرَكَ وَلاَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ تَكَلَّمْتُمَا، فَكَرِهْتُ.
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Inform me of a tree which resembles a Muslim, giving its fruits at every season by the permission of its Lord, and the leaves of which do not fall.” I thought of the date-palm tree, but I disliked to speak because Abu Bakr and `Umar were present there. When nobody spoke, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “It is the date-palm tree” When I came out with my father, I said, “O father! It came to my mind that it was the date-palm tree.” He said, “What prevented you from saying it?” Had you said it, it would have been more dearer to me than such-and-such a thing (fortune).” I said, “Nothing prevented me but the fact that neither you nor Abu Bakr spoke, so I disliked to speak (in your presence).