Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 2282, 2283
وَعَنْ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ: «ذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ كَالْمُقَاتِلِ خَلْفَ الْفَارِّينَ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ كَغُصْنٍ أَخْضَرَ فِي شَجَرٍ يَابِس» وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «مَثَلُ الشَّجَرَةِ الْخَضْرَاءِ فِي وَسَطِ الشَّجَرِ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ مَثَلُ مِصْبَاحٍ فِي بَيْتٍ مُظْلِمٍ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ يُرِيهِ اللَّهُ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ فَصِيحٍ وَأَعْجَمٍ» . وَالْفَصِيحُ: بَنُو آدَمَ وَالْأَعْجَمُ: الْبَهَائِم. رَوَاهُ رزين
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Malik reported: It reached me that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) used to say: ‘One who remembers God among the heedless is like a fighter behind those who flee, and one who remembers God among the heedless is like a green branch among dry trees.’ Another version says: ‘Like a green tree among other trees; one who remembers God among the heedless is like a lamp in a dark house. God shows the one who remembers Him among the heedless his place in Paradise while he is still alive, and forgives him for as many as all articulate and non-Arab beings.’ The source explains that “the articulate” are human beings and “the non-Arab” refers to animals. Razin transmitted it. The Arabic source records “not studied” twice (al-Albani).
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report begins with Malik’s ‘it reached me’ wording; the source’s gloss identifies human beings and animals in the closing expression.
وَعَنْ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ: «ذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ كَالْمُقَاتِلِ خَلْفَ الْفَارِّينَ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ كَغُصْنٍ أَخْضَرَ فِي شَجَرٍ يَابِس» وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: «مَثَلُ الشَّجَرَةِ الْخَضْرَاءِ فِي وَسَطِ الشَّجَرِ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ مَثَلُ مِصْبَاحٍ فِي بَيْتٍ مُظْلِمٍ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ يُرِيهِ اللَّهُ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ وَذَاكِرُ اللَّهِ فِي الْغَافِلِينَ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ بِعَدَدِ كُلِّ فَصِيحٍ وَأَعْجَمٍ» . وَالْفَصِيحُ: بَنُو آدَمَ وَالْأَعْجَمُ: الْبَهَائِم. رَوَاهُ رزين
The phrase كالمقاتل خلف الفارين is unusual (‘like a fighter behind those fleeing’); the source does not explain the image.
Is the comparison to a fighter pursuing or following those who flee?