Ibn Umar reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day said to his Companions: Tell me about a tree which has resemblance with a believer. The people began to mention (different) trees of the forest. Ibn 'Umar said: It was instilled in my mind or in my heart and it stuck therein that it implied the date- palm tree. I made up my mind to make a mention of that but could not do that because of the presence of the elderly people there. When there was a hush amongst them (after they had expressed their views), Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: It Is the date-palm tree.

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الْغُبَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي الْخَلِيلِ، الضُّبَعِيِّ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا لأَصْحَابِهِ " أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ شَجَرَةٍ مَثَلُهَا مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ " . فَجَعَلَ الْقَوْمُ يَذْكُرُونَ شَجَرًا مِنْ شَجَرِ الْبَوَادِي . قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَأُلْقِيَ فِي نَفْسِي أَوْ رُوعِيَ أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَجَعَلْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقُولَهَا فَإِذَا أَسْنَانُ الْقَوْمِ فَأَهَابُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا سَكَتُوا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ " .