Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of Hell, seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave, and seek refuge with Allah from the trial of Masih al-Dajjal and seek refuge with Allah from the trial of life and death.
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - Sahih Muslim 588 d
This supplication, narrated in Sahih Muslim, contains profound spiritual protection sought by the believer from four grave perils. The seeker first asks refuge from the Fire's punishment, a fundamental Islamic teaching emphasizing the reality of the Hereafter and divine justice.
Second, refuge is sought from the grave's torment, known as 'adhab al-qabr. Scholars explain this refers to the intermediate state (barzakh) where souls experience preliminary recompense before Resurrection, affirming the Unseen world's reality.
Third, protection from Masih al-Dajjal's trial is requested. Classical commentators describe al-Dajjal as the false messiah whose emergence near the End Times represents the ultimate test of faith through deception and worldly allurements.
Finally, refuge from life and death's trials encompasses all worldly tribulations that may lead one astray, and the final moments of death where faith is most vulnerable. This comprehensive prayer thus covers protection in this life, at death, in the grave, and in the Hereafter.