Abu Musa reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who remembers his Lord and he who does not are like the living and the dead.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
The Superiority of Remembrance
This noble hadith from the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim), as recorded in Mishkat al-Masabih 2263, employs a profound analogy to illustrate the fundamental distinction between the believer immersed in the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and the one heedless of it.
The Analogy of the Living and the Dead
The one who remembers his Lord is likened to the living—possessing a heart that is awake, a soul that is receptive to divine grace, and a spirit that finds its true nourishment and purpose. His life is one of spiritual vitality, purpose, and connection to the Source of all life.
Conversely, the one who does not remember Allah is likened to the dead. Though his body may walk the earth, his heart is devoid of the light of faith and recognition. His existence is one of spiritual inertia and separation from the true reality, making him like a corpse among the living.
The Essence of Life and Death
The scholars explain that true life is not merely biological existence. The real life is the life of the heart through knowing Allah, loving Him, and being in a constant state of spiritual awareness. True death is the death of the heart through heedlessness, sin, and being veiled from the Creator.
Thus, dhikr is the very sustenance of the soul. Just as the body cannot live without food and water, the soul cannot truly live without the remembrance of its Lord. It is the practice that animates faith and distinguishes the believer in both this world and the Hereafter.