حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّی قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِکٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَی الْأَشْعَرِيِّ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ الْأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا
ابن ماجہ · Hadith 214
It was narrated from Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari that the Prophet p.b.u.h said: “The likeness of the believer who recites the Qur’án is that of a citron, the taste and smell of which are good. The likeness of a believer who does not read the Qur’an is that of a date, the taste of which is good but it has no smell. The likeness of a hypocrite who reads the Qur’án is that of sweet basiL the smell of which is good but its taste is bitter. And the likeness of a hypocrite who does not read the Qur’an is that of a colocynth (bitter apple). the taste of which is bitter and it has no smell.’” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020