The Living and the Dead

A Hadith on Dhikr and Heart:

The Prophet ﷺ said: 

“The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like the living and the dead.”

(Narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari, Sahih al-Bukhari 6407; Sahih Muslim 779)

It’s a simple sentence, but it describes the entire state of the heart.

What Does This Hadith Mean?

·         Like the living and the dead
A heart that remembers Allah is spiritually alive: soft, aware, and able to receive guidance.
A heart that forgets Allah becomes hard, restless and distant from its true purpose.

·         Dhikr is more than words
Dhikr is not just repeating phrases. It is the heart turning back to Allah with love, hope, and fear. The tongue simply follows what the heart is doing.

·         Why is dhikr life for the heart?
Just as the body needs food and water, the soul needs remembrance. Without it, a person may be physically alive but spiritually disconnected.

How to Live This Hadith Daily

You don’t need long hours to revive your heart. Start with small, consistent moments:

·         After each salah, softly say:
SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar with focus.

·         When you feel stressed, whisper:
Hasbiyallahu wa niʿmal wakeel – “Allah is enough for me and the best disposer of affairs.”

·         When your mind starts drifting to sins or negativity, bring it back with:
Astaghfirullah – “I seek Allah’s forgiveness.”

Every time you remember Allah, you choose to be among the living hearts, not the dead ones.