Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2866
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ، وَغَيْرُ، وَاحِدٍ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَمَثَلِ الزَّرْعِ لاَ تَزَالُ الرِّيَاحُ تُفِيئُهُ وَلاَ يَزَالُ الْمُؤْمِنُ يُصِيبُهُ بَلاَءٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّجَرَةِ الأَرْزِ لاَ تَهْتَزُّ حَتَّى تُسْتَحْصَدَ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘The believer is like a plant, continually bent by the winds; likewise, the believer continually faces trials. The hypocrite is like a cedar tree: it does not sway until it is cut down.’ Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan sahih.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic verb tufī’uhu suggests the winds repeatedly bend or sway the plant. The cedar’s stillness contrasts with the believer’s responsiveness under trials.