Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai-kubra:6700Aḥmad b. Saʿīd > Yūnus > al-Ṣaʿq > Qatādah > Anas

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of a believer who recites the Quran is like a citron, its taste is good and its fragrance is good. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Quran is like a date, its taste is good but it has no fragrance."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٧٠٠أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الصَّعْقُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْأُتْرُنْجَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:5020Hudbah b. Khālid Abū Khālid > Hammām > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and has no smell.  

البخاري:٥٠٢٠حَدَّثَنَا هُدْبَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ أَبُو خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَالأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَالتَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا  

bukhari:5427Qutaybah > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of a Believer who recites the Qur'an, is that of a citron which smells good and tastes good; And the example of a Believer who does not recite the Qur'an, is that of a date which has no smell but tastes sweet; and the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an, is that of an aromatic plant which smells good but tastes bitter; and the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an, is that of a colocynth plant which has no smell and is bitter in taste."  

البخاري:٥٤٢٧حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الأُتْرُجَّةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ لاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَطَعْمُهَا حُلْوٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ لَيْسَ لَهَا رِيحٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ  

bukhari:7560Hudbah b. Khālid > Hammām > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá

The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron (a citrus fruit) which is good in taste and good in smell. And the believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which has a good taste but no smell. And the example of an impious person who recites the Qur'an is that of Ar-Rihana (an aromatic plant) which smells good but is bitter in taste. And the example of an impious person who does not recite the Qur'an is that of a colocynth which is bitter in taste and has no smell."  

البخاري:٧٥٦٠حَدَّثَنَا هُدْبَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَالأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ كَالتَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا  

muslim:797aQutaybah b. Saʿīd And ʾAbū Kāmil al-Jaḥdarī > Abū ʿAwānah > Qutaybah > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

A believer who recites the Qur'an is like an orange whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet; a believer who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste; and the hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a basil whose fragrance is sweet, but whose taste is bitter; and a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which has no fragrance and has a bitter taste.  

مسلم:٧٩٧aحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ قَالَ قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الأُتْرُجَّةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ التَّمْرَةِ لاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَطَعْمُهَا حُلْوٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ لَيْسَ لَهَا رِيحٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ  

nasai:5038ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

"The Prophet [SAW] said: 'The parable of the believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron, the taste and smell of which are good. The parable 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 parable of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is that of basil, the smell of which is good but its taste is bitter. And the parable 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.'"  

النسائي:٥٠٣٨أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ أَبَا مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيَّ قَالَ قَالَ

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الْأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا  

tirmidhi:2865Qutaybah > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated: "The parable of the believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron, its fragrance is nice and its taste is nice. The parable of the believer who does not recite the Qur'an is that of a date, it has no smell but its taste is sweet. The parable of the hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is that of basil, its fragrance is nice but its taste is bitter. The parable of the hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is that of the colocynth, its smell is better and its taste is bitter.'"  

الترمذي:٢٨٦٥حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الأُتْرُجَّةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ لاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَطَعْمُهَا حُلْوٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ رِيحُهَا مُرٌّ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ شُعْبَةُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ أَيْضًا
ibnmajah:214Muḥammad b. Bashhār And Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

The Prophet said: "The likeness of the believer who recites the Qur'an 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'an is that of a 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.'"  

ابن ماجة:٢١٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الأُتْرُجَّةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَرِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لاَ يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلاَ رِيحَ لَهَا  

ahmad:19664Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Anasʿan Abū Mūsá

The Prophet said: "The likeness of the believer who recites the Qur'an 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'an is that of a 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.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 214)  

أحمد:١٩٦٦٤حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍعَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ 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  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَنْ وَصْفِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، وَالْفَاجِرِ إِذَا قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ

ibnhibban:771Abū Yaʿlá > Muḥammad b. al-Minhāl al-Ḍarīr > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd b. Abū ʿArūbah > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá

"The Prophet [SAW] said: 'The parable of the believer who recites the Qur'an is that of a citron, the taste and smell of which are good. The parable 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 parable of a hypocrite who reads the Qur'an is that of basil, the smell of which is good but its taste is bitter. And the parable 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.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 5038)  

ابن حبّان:٧٧١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمِنْهَالِ الضَّرِيرِ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «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 أَوِ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ أَوِ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا»  

nasai-kubra:6699ʿUbaydullāh b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Anas > Abū Mūsá

[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ , he said, "The likeness of a believer who recites the Quran is like a citron, its taste is sweet and its fragrance is aromatic. And the likeness of a believer who does not recite the Quran is like a date, its taste is sweet but it has no fragrance."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٦٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ 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»  

suyuti:19816a
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:١٩٨١٦a

"مَثَلُ الْمؤمِنِ الذِي يَقْرأُ الْقُرآنَ كمَثَلِ الأُتْرُجةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ، ومَثَلُ الْمؤمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرأُ الْقُرآنَ، كَمَثَلِ التَّمرةِ لا رِيح لَهَا وَطَعْمُهَا حُلوٌ، وَمَثَلُ المنَافِق الذِي يَقْرأُ الْقُرآنَ، كَمَثَلِ الريحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبَةٌ (*) وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ، ومَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرأُ الْقُرآنَ كَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظلَةِ لَيسَ (**) لَها رَيح وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي (***)) , [ن] النسائي [هـ] ابن ماجة [حب] ابن حبّان عن قتادة (عن أنس (****) عن أبي موسى