Anas ibn Malik reported: I was walking with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a thick border. A bedouin Arab overtook the Prophet and forcibly pulled his clothes. I looked at the shoulder of the Prophet and I saw that the edge of his shirt had left a mark because of the strength of his pull. The man said, “O Muhammad! Order them to give me something from Allah’s wealth which you have!” The Prophet turned and he smiled, then he ordered that the man be given charity.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6088, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1057
Grade: Authenticity agreed upon according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
As I read this hadith, I picture a person sitting in their garden or on a balcony, enjoying their afternoon tea. A sweet squirrel runs right up and nips the person’s toe. The person yelps at first, then immediately smiles as they realize the little guy just wants its acorn from what it recognizes as a Tree. The squirrel promptly receives its prize from the Tree and scampers off happily to bury its treasure. The innocent creature meant no harm at all.
Only a person who grows into a tree is capable of this level of discernment and response. Flower petals, being fragile, would get crushed, and understandably, narrate stories of trauma. A mountain would intimidate the squirrel, and it would hesitate to approach. A bird would be startled and promptly fly away in order to maintain its peace, boundaries and autonomy. But a tree would remain grounded, recognize the situation as harmless, smile and fulfill the need of the squirrel.
The tree has the beauty and purity of the petals, the steadfastness of the mountain and the big picture perspective of the bird. But the tree is also fruitful and provides continuous benefit.