The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The likeness of the believer is like a stalk of crop, the wind keeps bending it, and the believer keeps being struck by trials. The likeness of the hypocrite is like the cedar tree, it does not sway until it is harvested."In another wording, "The likeness of the believer is like a tender stalk of crop, whichever way the wind comes upon it, it bends it. When it straightens, it is bent again by trials. The wicked person is like the cedar, firm and upright, until Allah breaks it whenever He wills."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: مثل المؤمن كمثل الزرع لا تزال الريح تميله، ولا يزال المؤمن يصيبه البلاء، ومثل المنافق كمثل شجرة الأرز، لا تهتز حتى تستحصد. وفي لفظ: مثل المؤمن كمثل الخامة من الزرع، من حيث أتتها الريح كفأتها، فإذا اعتدلت تكفأ بالبلاء، والفاجر كالأرزة، صماء معتدلة، حتى يقصمها الله إذا شاء.
Muslim narrated it in the Chapter on the Description of the Resurrection (2809:58) via Zuhri, from Saeed (that is, Ibn Musayab), from Abu Hurairah, and mentioned it with the first wording. Bukhari narrated it in the Chapter on the Sick (5644) via Ata bin Yasar, from Abu Hurairah, and mentioned it with the second wording. His saying, "the arzah," is said to be the pine tree.As for what is reported from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The parable of the strong believer is like that of the date palm, and the parable of the weak believer is like that of a young shoot of grain crop," the correct view is that it is a mawquf report (attributed only to the companion, not the Prophet).Abu Shaykh narrated it in Amthal (91), from Abdan, who said, our teacher Sulayman bin Ayub, the companion from Basra, told us, our teacher Hammad bin Zayd told us, from Ali bin Suwayd bin Manjuf, from Abu Rafi, from Abu Hurairah, and he mentioned it. This is how Sulayman bin Ayub, the companion from Basra, narrated it, and he is truthful (saduq). But Sulayman bin Harb Azdi, who is trustworthy, a leading authority, and a hafiz, differed with him, narrating it from Hammad bin Zayd in the same chain but as a mawquf report, and this is the correct view. This is also what Daraqutni preferred in Ilal (1643). Perhaps one of the narrators explained it in his own words.