Hadith Text

"I heard Abu Hurairah say: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: When one of you recites the tashahhud, let him seek refuge with Allah (SWT) from our things: From the torment of hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death and from the evils of the Dajjal. Then let him pray for himself asking whatever he wants.'"

Source Reference

The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)

Sunan an-Nasa'i

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1310

Scholarly Commentary

This noble hadith establishes a comprehensive supplication to be recited during the final sitting (tashahhud) of the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) instructs believers to seek refuge in four fundamental perils that threaten every Muslim's faith and afterlife.

First, seeking refuge from the torment of Hell acknowledges the ultimate consequence of disobedience to Allah. Second, protection from the torment of the grave recognizes the intermediate state between death and resurrection where souls are tested. Third, deliverance from the trials of life and death encompasses all worldly temptations and the final moments of faith. Fourth, seeking refuge from the evils of Dajjal protects from the greatest fitnah before Judgment Day.

The sequence demonstrates profound wisdom: beginning with the ultimate physical punishment (Hell), moving to the intermediate state (grave), then to spiritual tests (life/death trials), and culminating with the ultimate false messiah. After securing these protections, the worshipper may then make personal supplications, showing that spiritual security precedes worldly requests.

This teaching integrates essential elements of Islamic eschatology into daily worship, keeping the believer constantly mindful of the afterlife while maintaining connection with divine protection throughout their religious practice.