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كتاب العلم
3  
Knowledge
(50)
Chapter: (What is said as regards): To be shy (Al-Haya) while learning (religious) knowledge
(50)
باب الْحَيَاءِ فِي الْعِلْمِ
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.‏
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 131
In-book reference : Book 3, Hadith 73
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 3, Hadith 133
  (deprecated numbering scheme)