Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَن قَتَادَةَ عَن أَنَسٍ عَن أَبِي مُوسَى عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الْأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ طَيِّبٌ رِيحُهَا وَلَا طَعْمَ لَهَا وَقَالَ يَحْيَى مَرَّةً طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الْحَنْظَلَةِ لَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَطَعْمُهَا خَبِيثٌ.
English Translation
Yahya b. Sa'id told us: Shu'ba told us, from Qatada, from Anas, from Abu Musa, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "The likeness of the believer who recites the Qur'an is like the citron: its taste is good and its smell is good. And the likeness of the believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like the date: its taste is good but it has no smell. And the likeness of the hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like sweet basil: its smell is good but it has no taste" - Yahya once said "its taste is bitter" - "And the likeness of the hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth: it has no smell and its taste is foul."