Narrated Ibn `Umar:While we were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) he said, "Tell me of a tree which resembles a Muslim man. Its leaves do not fall and it does not, and does not, and does not, and it gives its fruits every now and then." It came to my mind that such a tree must be the date palm, but seeing Abu Bakr and `Umar saying nothing, I disliked to speak. So when they did not say anything, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It is the date-palm tree." When we got up (from that place), I said to `Umar, "O my father! By Allah, it came to my mind that it must be the date palm tree." `Umar said, "What prevented you from speaking" I replied, "I did not see you speaking, so I misliked to speak or say anything." `Umar then said, "If you had said it, it would have been dearer to me than so-and-so."
حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَخْبِرُونِي بِشَجَرَةٍ تُشْبِهُ أَوْ كَالرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ لاَ يَتَحَاتُّ وَرَقُهَا وَلاَ وَلاَ وَلاَ، تُؤْتِي أُكْلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ ". قَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ، وَرَأَيْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ لاَ يَتَكَلَّمَانِ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَقُولُوا شَيْئًا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ ". فَلَمَّا قُمْنَا قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ يَا أَبَتَاهُ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي أَنَّهَا النَّخْلَةُ فَقَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَكَلَّمَ قَالَ لَمْ أَرَكُمْ تَكَلَّمُونَ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ أَوْ أَقُولَ شَيْئًا. قَالَ عُمَرُ لأَنْ تَكُونَ قُلْتَهَا أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا.
Bukhari
Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh)) • Hadith 220