A person supplicates in his prayer, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of life and the trial of death.” What is meant by the trial of death?

The questioner : The questioner says: A person supplicates in his prayer: What is meant by the trial of death? May Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : The trial of life is that a person is tried by this world, becomes immersed in it, and forgets the Hereafter. This is what Allah the Exalted condemned in the servants in His saying: And among the trials of this world are doubts, where a person’s heart falls into doubt and ignorance regarding what Allah revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for the trial of death, it encompasses two things: the first is what happens at the time of death, and the second is what happens in the grave. As for the first, which is what happens at the time of death, Satan—may Allah protect us and those who listen from him—is most eager to mislead the son of Adam at the moment of death, because it is the decisive hour. He intervenes between the person and his heart, meaning he causes the person to fall into something at that moment that takes him out of the religion of Islam. This intervention is not like the intervention of Allah Mighty and Majestic, which Allah the Exalted mentioned in His saying: But he, meaning Satan, strives with complete determination to mislead the children of Adam at that moment. It was reported about Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) that when he was on his deathbed, he would faint, and they would hear him saying: “Later, later. When he regained consciousness, they said to him: ‘O Abu 'Abd Allah! What did you mean by saying ‘Later, later’?’ He said: ‘Satan appeared before me and said: ‘Try me, O Ahmad! Try me, O Ahmad!’ So I said to him: ‘Later, later.’” Meaning, I did not try him, because a person does not escape from Satan except when he dies. When he dies, his deeds are cut off, and if he is a believer, Satan has no hope in him. So I say, “I did not try him,” because it is possible that Satan may cause a trial for a person at the time of death. But I give good news to my brothers who believed in Allah truly, followed His Messenger sincerely, and stood firm upon the Shari'ah of Allah. I give them good news that Allah, by His grace and generosity, will not abandon them, nor will He seal their end with a bad ending. For Allah the Exalted is more generous than His servant (Exalted and Majestic is He). So whoever is truthful with Allah, let him be given good news of good. But a bad ending occurs if the heart is harboring a wicked secret. Indeed, a person may do the deeds of the people of Paradise in the eyes of people, yet he is among the people of the Fire. We seek refuge in Allah from that. This is part of the trial of death, and it is called the trial of death because of its proximity to it. As for the second thing included in the trial of death, it is the trial of a person in his grave. When a person dies and is buried, and his companions leave him, two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet. As for the believer—may Allah make me and those who listen among them—he says: “My Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam, and my Prophet is Muhammad.” Then a caller from the heavens calls out: “Your servant has spoken the truth! Spread for him from Paradise, dress him in Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise.” And his grave is made spacious for him. As for the disbeliever—may Allah protect us from that—or the one who is in doubt, he says: “Ah, ah, I do not know. I heard people saying something, so I said it.” And his heart—may Allah protect us from that—did not enter into faith. Then a caller from the heavens calls out: “Your servant has lied! Spread for him from the Fire, dress him in the Fire, and open for him a door to the Fire.” And his grave is made narrow for him until his ribs are crushed. By Allah, it is a great trial. We ask Allah to protect us and our Muslim brothers from it. This is the meaning of the supplicant’s saying: “I seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire, from the punishment of the grave, from the trial of life and death, and from the trial of the Dajjal.” This is the trial of death mentioned in this hadith, which encompasses these two things.

The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh.