The Good Tree
One day while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sitting with his Companions, he, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “There is a certain kind of tree whose leaves never fall; it is like the Muslim person. Guess what it is.”
`Abdullah Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with both father and son) was the youngest of the Companions present there. He knew that it was the palm tree, but when he found that both Abu Bakr and his father `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) were silent, his extreme politeness prevented him from saying what he knew.
People then went on mentioning different kinds of trees to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but they were all wrong. Then, they said, “What is this tree, Allah’s Messenger?”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “It is the palm tree.”
Afterwards, when they all left, `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) told his father, `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), that he had known that it was the palm tree. When his father asked him why he did not say it, `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) replied that he was shy to talk in the presence of the great Companions when they did not know the answer.
`Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) chided him for doing so, and said, “It would have been better to me than having a red camel (the best and most expensive kind of camel) if you had given the right answer.”