Their forgetting themselves entails their turning away, their heedlessness, and their loss of awareness of what they previously knew about their own condition. It also entails their neglecting their own best interests. Thus, they do not remember themselves in a way that benefits and reforms them; had they remembered Allah, they would have remembered themselves. This is the reverse of the saying:

“Whoever knows himself knows his Lord.”

Some people attribute this to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Yet these are not the Prophet’s words, nor does this saying appear in any of the books of hadith, nor is any chain of transmission known for it. However, the following is reported in some earlier books—if the report is authentic:

“O human being, know yourself, and you will know your Lord.”

Whether the meaning of this statement is sound or unsound, its wording cannot be used as authoritative proof, for it has not been established as the statement of anyone protected from error. If, however, it is interpreted in a sound sense, the soundness of that meaning is known regardless of whether this wording conveys it or not. The statement that is firmly established is what appears in the Quran, namely His words:

“And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves.”

This indicates that forgetting the Lord necessarily leads to forgetting oneself. Accordingly, whoever remembers Allah and does not forget Him will remember himself. For if he