nor would life retain any pleasure; rather, we would be plunged into distress. If the person being tormented were a relative of ours, our anguish would be two-fold—because of our blood-tie to him and because of the awful sounds themselves. Even if he were no relation, we would still be troubled by what we heard.
Such, then, is the magnitude of the trial of the grave. We ask Allah to protect us and you from it.
These are among the things the Prophet ﷺ used to teach his Companions—five invocations:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from miserliness; I seek refuge in You from cowardice; I seek refuge in You from being returned to a debased old age; I seek refuge in You from the trial of this world; and I seek refuge in You from the punishment (or: the trial) of the grave.”
As for the ḥadith of Muʿādh, the Prophet ﷺ said to him, “I love you,” and even swore, “By Allah, I truly love you.” This is a tremendous merit for Muʿādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him): our Prophet ﷺ took an oath that he loved him, and a lover keeps nothing from his beloved except what is best for him. He prefaced his instruction with that declaration so that Muʿādh would be fully receptive, knowing the advice was coming from someone who loved him.
He then told him, “Do not neglect to say at the end of every prescribed prayer: ‘O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well.’”
The phrase “at the end of every prayer” (dubr al-ṣalāh) here means toward the close of the prayer, before the final salutation. Some narrations explicitly state that it is to be said before the salām, and that is correct. As we have explained: whenever a supplication (duʿāʾ) is connected to dubr al-ṣalāh it is to be recited before the taslīm, whereas a remembrance (dhikr) linked to that wording is said after the taslīm.
Proof for this rule is the ḥadith of Ibn Masʿūd about the tashahhud: once he had taught the tashahhud, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Then let him choose whatever supplication he wishes—or loves—or finds most pleasing.” Concerning remembrance, Allah the Exalted says, “When you have finished the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, and lying on your sides” ⦗Qur’an 4:103⦘.
“Help me to remember You” means: enable me to utter every expression that brings one nearer to