—it has no fragrance and its taste is sweet; whereas the hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like the basil plant: its scent is pleasant but its taste is bitter. And the hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like the colocynth: it has no scent and its taste is bitter. Agreed upon.

[Explanation]
The compiler—may Allah have mercy on him—cited this hadith in the chapter on the virtue of reciting the Qur’an in Riyad al-Salihin to clarify people’s different states with respect to the Qur’an. The Prophet ﷺ set forth parables for the believer and the hypocrite. A believer is either one who recites the Qur’an or one who does not. If he is a reciter, his likeness is that of the citron: its fragrance is pleasant and its taste is sweet. Such is the believer who recites the Qur’an, for his soul is wholesome, his heart is pure, and he benefits others. Sitting with him is a blessing, just as the Prophet ﷺ said, “The example of a righteous companion is like that of a musk seller: either he will give you some of it, or at the very least you enjoy his pleasant scent.” Thus the believer who recites the Qur’an is goodness through and through—good in himself and good for those around him—like the citron, whose fragrance is pure and whose taste is delightful.