what we are witnessing today: the world has been thrown open to us from every direction, in every conceivable way. Our homes have become like royal palaces, our vehicles like the chariots of kings, and we enjoy clothing, food, and drink of the finest kind. With the gates of this world flung wide, people’s only concerns now seem to be their stomachs and their private desires. They have fallen prey to worldly temptation—may Allah grant us well-being.

The trial of this world is immense, and a person must stay alert. For that reason Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Indeed, the promise of Allah is true, so do not let the life of this world deceive you, nor let the Deceiver delude you about Allah.”

“I seek refuge in You from the trial of the grave,” or, as some narrations state, “from the punishment of the grave.” The trial of the grave is also enormous. When the deceased is buried and his companions depart—so much so that he hears the sound of their sandals as they walk away—two angels come to him and question him about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet. If he was a sincere believer, he answers correctly: “My Lord is Allah, my prophet is Muhammad, and my religion is Islam.” But if he was merely showing off or was a hypocrite—may Allah protect us and you from that—he says, “Hah, hah, I do not know! Hah, hah, I do not know!” He is then struck with an iron hammer. This iron hammer, they say, is like a sledgehammer, and some reports mention that if all the people of Mina gathered to lift it, they would not be able to do so because of its massive weight—may Allah grant us safety. He lets out a scream heard by every creature—every creature except the two heavy species, humans and jinn. This, too, is part of Allah’s mercy: He does not allow us to hear the torment of the grave, for if we could hear people being punished in their graves, life in this world would no longer hold any joy for us.