Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَمَّارُ بْنُ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ النَّاسُ مَعَادِنُ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِذَا فَقِهُوا.
English Translation
'Affan told us: Hammad told us: 'Ammar ibn Abi 'Ammar informed us: I heard Abu Hurayrah say: I heard Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "People are like ores, in goodness and in evil; the best of them in the Age of Ignorance are the best of them in Islam, once they attain understanding."