Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 3 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 535

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ فَضْلِ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ

180 - Chapter: The Virtue of Reciting the Quran.

بِرِيحٍ ظَاهِرٍ بَيِّنٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ لَهُ رَائِحَةٌ، لَكِنْ لَيْسَتْ رَائِحَتُهَا ذَكِيَّةً تَجْذِبُ ا النَّاسَ لَكِنَّهَا حُلْوَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ، هَذَا الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ، إِذَنْ فَالْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَارِئُ أَفْضَلُ بِكَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ، يَعْنِي: لَا يَعْرِفُهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَعَلَّمْهُ، وَمَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ لَهَا رَائِحَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ، لَكِنَّ طَعْمَهَا مُرٌّ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُنَافِقَ فِي ذَاتِهِ خَبِيثٌ، لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ وَالْمُنَافِقُ هُوَ الَّذِي يُظْهِرُ أَنَّهُ مُسْلِمٌ، وَلَكِنَّ قَلْبَهُ كَافِرٌ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - وَهُوَ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ: ﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا وَلَهُم عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْذِبُونَ﴾ [الْبَقَرَةِ:٨-١٠].

While everything has a scent, some lack the fragrance to draw people in, though they remain sweet and pleasant. This describes the believer who does not recite the Quran. The believer who does recite is far superior, as the other lacks knowledge and has not learned the Book. The hypocrite who recites the Quran is like basil: it has a pleasant scent but a bitter taste, for the hypocrite is inherently corrupt and devoid of goodness. A hypocrite is one who presents as a Muslim while harboring disbelief in their heart—may Allah protect us. Allah says of them: 'Of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. They seek to deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive none but themselves, and they perceive it not. In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie' [Al-Baqarah: 8-10].

فَهُنَاكَ مُنَافِقُونَ يَقْرَؤُونَ الْقُرْآنَ قِرَاءَةً طَيِّبَةً مُرَتَّلَةً مُجَوَّدَةً، لَكِنَّهُمْ مُنَافِقُونَ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي الْخَوَارِجِ: «يَقْرَؤُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ» هَؤُلَاءِ - وَالْعِيَاذُ بِاللَّهِ - ضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ مَثَلًا بِالرَّيْحَانَةِ، رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَذَلِكَ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ؛ وَذَلِكَ لِخُبْثِ طَوِيَّتِهِمْ، وَفَسَادِ نِيَّتِهِمْ، وَالْمُنَافِقُ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ ضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَهُ مَثَلًا بِالْحَنْظَلَةِ، طَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ، وَلَيْسَ لَهَا رِيحٌ، هَذَا الْمُنَافِقُ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ طَعْمُهُ مُرٌّ، وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُ قُرْآنٌ يَنْتَفِعُ النَّاسُ بِهِ.

Some hypocrites recite the Quran beautifully, with perfect rhythm and intonation, yet they remain hypocrites—may Allah protect us. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said of the Khawarij: 'They recite the Quran, but it does not go beyond their throats.' For these people, the Prophet likened them to basil: its scent is pleasant because of the Quran they carry, but its taste is bitter due to their wicked inner selves and corrupt intentions. The hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is likened to the colocynth: it is bitter and has no scent at all. This type of hypocrite has no goodness in him, his taste is bitter, and he possesses no Quran from which others might benefit.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (20 verbs · 47 nouns)

• كَانَ — to be
• جَذَبَ — to attract
• قَرَأَ — to read
• بَاب — chapter
• فَضْل — virtue
• قِرَاءَة — reading