The Prophet ﷺ said, "The believer is like a stalk of grain, sometimes bending and sometimes standing upright. The disbeliever is like the cedar tree, remaining straight and rigid until it suddenly falls without warning."
أن النبي ﷺ قال: مثل المؤمن كمثل السنبلة تخر مرة وتستقيم مرة، ومثل الكافر مثل الأرز، لا يزال مستقيما حتى يخر ولا يشعر.
Imam Ahmad narrated it (14761) from Musa and Hasan, who said, "Ibn Lahia narrated to us, from Abu Zubayr, from Jabir," and he related something similar. The discussion regarding Ibn Lahia is well known, except that in some paths of transmission of this hadith, Abdullah bin Wahb narrated from him, and his hearing from him was in the early period. Abu Zubayr is a mudallis and he has used the ambiguous form "an" here, but the hadith has come through another path that does not include Abu Zubayr. This is what Bazzar narrated (45, 46 - Kashf), and Qudai in Musnad Shihab (2/280, 281), both through paths from Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, from Amash, from Ataa, from Jabir, relating something similar. With this corroboration the isnad rises to the level of hasan li-ghayrihi. Hafiz mentioned it in Fath al-Bari (10/106) and attributed it to Ahmad, and remained silent about it.As for his saying "the cedar tree," it has been said that it refers to the pine tree. Something similar has been narrated from Ubayy bin Kaab, that he came to the Prophet ﷺ who said to him, "When was your last encounter with Umm Miladam?" That is a fever that lies between the skin and the flesh. He said, "That is indeed the worst pain that has ever afflicted me." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The believer is like a tender green plant, at times turning red and at other times turning yellow." This includes an unnamed man in its chain. Imam Ahmad narrated it (21282) from Sufyan bin Uyayna, from Ismail bin Umaya, from someone who told him, from the mother of Ubayy bin Kaab's child, from Ubayy bin Kaab, relating something similar."Umm Miladam," following the pattern of "minbar," is an epithet for fever. "Khamah" refers to fresh, moist vegetation.On this subject there is also what has been narrated from Abdullah bin Iyas bin Abu Fatimah Damri, from his father, from his grandfather, in a lengthy hadith, and some of its wording contains objectionable elements. Tabarani narrated it in Al-Kabir (22/323), and it includes Muhammad bin Abu Humayd, who is daif. Aqeeli gave his biography in Al-Duafa (1613), saying, Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad said, "I heard my father say, 'Muhammad bin Abu Humayd, his hadiths are objectionable hadiths.'" And he said elsewhere, "He is not strong in hadith." Bukhari said, "Muhammad bin Abu Humayd is munkar al-hadith."On this subject there is also what has been narrated from Anas bin Malik and Ammar bin Yasir, as a saying of the Prophet, "The believer is like a stalk of grain, at times leaning and at times standing upright, while the disbeliever is like a cedar tree, it falls without anyone noticing." The hadith of Anas was narrated by Abu Yaala (3068), and it includes Fahd bin Habban, who is daif, as Haythami stated in Al-Majmu (2/293). The hadith of Ammar bin Yasir was narrated by Tabarani in Al-Kabir, and it includes Muhallab bin Ala, about whom Haythami said, "I have not found anyone who mentioned him."