Hadith 33214

Chapter 50

باب 50

(50) باب الْحَيَاءِ فِي الْعِلْمِ

(50) Chapter: (What is said as regards): To be shy (Al-Haya) while learning (religious) knowledge
73
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.

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."

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 131

In-book reference: Book 3, Hadith 73

USC-MSA web (English) reference(deprecated numbering scheme): Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 133