Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْعُمَرِيُّ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْقُرْآنِ مَثَلُ الْإِبِلِ الْمُعَقَّلَةِ إِنْ تَعَاهَدَهَا صَاحِبُهَا أَمْسَكَهَا وَإِنْ تَرَكَهَا ذَهَبَتْ.
English Translation
Waki' narrated to us, from al-'Umari, from Nafi', from Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The example of the Qur'an is like the example of hobbled camels: if their owner keeps tending to them, he retains them, but if he neglects them, they go away."