Explanation of Riyad al-Salihin-75b

The reciter: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted in the context of the hadiths in the chapter on the virtue of dhikr and the exhortation to it: "From Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to seek (Allah's) protection after prayers in these words: "Alla-humma inni a'udhu bika minal-jubni wal- bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min an uradda ila ardhalil-'umur, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatid-dunya, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-qabr (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from cowardice, miserliness and from being sent back to a feeble age; and, seek refuge with You from the trials of this life and those of the grave)."

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يتعوذ دبر الصلوات بهؤلاء الكلمات: اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الجبن والبخل، وأعوذ بك من أن أرد إلى أرذل العمر، وأعوذ بك من فتنة الدنيا، وأعوذ بك من فتنة القبر

Riyad as-Salihin 1421

Narrated by al-Bukhari, and from Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took hold of my hand and said, "O Mu'adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner)."

أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أخذ بيده وقال: يا معاذ والله إني لأحبك، فقال: أوصيك يا معاذ لا تدعن في دبر كل صلاة تقول: اللهم أعني على ذكرك وشكرك وحسن عبادتك

Riyad as-Salihin 1422

Narrated by Abu Dawud with a sound chain".

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
These are among the dhikr that are said after the prayer. The first hadith is from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and likewise the hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal . The rule regarding the word "after" (dabr) is that if what is mentioned is dhikr, it is to be done after the taslim, and if what is mentioned is du'a', it is to be done before the taslim, because what is before the taslim and after the tashahhud is the "after" of the prayer. And as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: "The 'after' of a thing is part of the thing" just as the "after" of an animal is its rear. Accordingly, the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and the hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal mean that this du'a' is to be said before you perform the taslim, when you have finished the tashahhud and your 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. You say: اللهم إني أعوذ بك من البخل وأعوذ بك من الجبن وأعوذ بك من أن أرد إلى أرذل العمر وأعوذ بك من فتنة الدنيا وأعوذ بك من فتنة القبر هذه خمسة أشياء تستعيذ بالله منهن، الأول: البخل وهو الشح بالمال، والثاني: الجبن وهو الشح بالنفس، فالبخل أن يمنع الإنسان ما يجب عليه بذله من ماله من زكاة أو نفقات أو إكرام ضيف أو غير ذلك، وأما الجبن فأن يشح الإنسان بنفسه لا يقدم في جهاد يخشى أن يقتل ولا يتكلم بكلام حق يخشى أن يسجن وما أشبه ذلك فهذا جبن، وأعوذ بك أن أرد إلى أرذل العمر أرذله يعني أرداه وأنقصه وذلك على وجهين، الوجه الأول: أن يحدث للإنسان حادث يختل به عقله فيهذي فيرد إلى أرذل العمر ويصير كالصبي، كما يوجد هذا في الحوادث يوجد أحد يصاب بحادث فيختل مخه ثم يكون كالبزر كالصغير، أو أن يكون ذلك عن كبر وهو الوجه الثاني، لأن الإنسان كلما كبر إذا استوى وبلغ أربعين سنة بدأ يأخذ بالنقص، ولكن الناس يختلفون أحد ينقص كثيرًا وأحد ينقص قليلًا قليلًا، لكنه لابد أن ينقص إذا بلغ الأربعين فقد استوى وكمل، والشيء إذا كمل أخذ بالنقص، فمن الناس من يرد إلى أرذل العمر في قواه الحسية وقواه العقلية فيضعف بدنه ويحتاج إلى من يحمله ويوضئه ويوجهه وما أشبه ذلك، أو عقليًّا بحيث يهذي ولا يدري ما يقول، فالرد إلى أرذل العمر يشبه هذا وهذا، ما كان بحادث وما كان بسبب تقادم السن به، ثم إن الإنسان إذا وصل إلى هذه الحال ن-سأل الله أن يعيذنا وإياكم منها- فإن أهله يملونه، أهله اللي هم أشفق الناس به يتعبون منه ويملونه وربما يلقونه في مكان تتكفل به الحكومة مثلًا، وهذا لا شك أن الإنسان لا يرضاه لا يرضى لنفسه أن يصل إلى هذا الحد، وتسقط أيضًا عنه الصلاة ويسقط عنه الصوم وتسقط عنه الواجبات، لأنه وصل إلى حد ارتفع عنه التكليف وأعوذ بك من فتنة الدنيا وما أعظم فتنة الدنيا وما أكثر المفتونين في الدنيا لا سيما في عصرنا هذا، وعصرنا هذا هو عصر الفتنة كما قال النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام: والله ما الفقر أخشى عليكم وإنما أخشى أن تفتح عليكم الدنيا فتنافسوها كما تنافسها من قبلكم فتهلككم كما أهلكتهم وهذا هو الواقع في وقتنا الحاضر فتحت علينا الدنيا من كل جانب، من كل شيء من كل وجه منازل كقصور الملوك ومراكب كمراكب الملوك وملابس ومطاعم ومشارب، فتحت فصار الناس الآن ليس لهم هم إلا البطون والفروج فتنوا في الدنيا نسأل الله العافية، ففتنة الدنيا عظيمة يجب على الإنسان أن ينتبه لها، ولهذا قال الله عز وجل: إن وعد لله حق فلا تغرنكم الحياة الدنيا ولا يغرنكم بالله الغرور وأعوذ بك من فتنة القبر أو من عذاب القبر وفتنة القبر أيضًا فتنة عظيمة إذا دفن الميت وانصرف عنه أصحابه حتى إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم منصرفين عنه، أتاه ملكان يسألانه عنه ربه ودينه ونبيه، إن كان مؤمنًا خالصًا أجاب بالصواب قال: ربي الله ونبي محمد وديني الإسلام، وإن كان مرتابًا أو منافقًا أعاذنا الله وإياكم من ذلك، قال: هاه لا أدري هاه هاه لا أدري، فيضرب بمرزبة من حديد، المرزبة قالوا: إنها حديدة مثل المطرقة، وقد ورد في بعض الأحاديث أنه لو اجتمع عليها أهل منى ما أقلوها من عظمتها نسأل الله العافية، فيصيح صيحة يسمعها كل شيء يسمعها كل شيء إلا الثقلين يعني الجن والإنس، وهذا من رحمة الله أن الله تعالى لا يسمعنا عذاب القبر، لأننا لو سمعنا الناس يعذبون في قبورهم ما طاب لنا عيش ولتنكدنا، إن كان قريبًا لنا تنكدنا من وجهين من قرابته ومن هذه الأصوات المزعجة، وإن كان غير قريب أيضًا انزعجنا منه، ففتنة القبر فتنة عظيمة نسأل الله أن يعيننا وإياكم منها هذه أشياء كان النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم يعلمه أصحابه خمسة أشياء: اللهم إني أعوذ بك من البخل، وأعوذ بك من الجبن، وأعوذ بك من أن أرد إلى أرذل العمر، وأعوذ بك من فتنة الدنيا، وأعوذ بك من عذاب القبر أو من فتنة القبر أما حديث معاذ فإن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال له: إني أحبك، وأقسم وقال: والله إني لأحبك وهذه منقبة عظيمة لمعاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه أن نبينا صلوات الله وسلامه عليه أقسم أنه يحبه، والمحب لا يدخر لحبيبه إلا ما هو خير له، وإنما قال هذا له لأجل أن يكون مستعدًا لما يلقي إليه، لأنه يلقيه إليه من محب ثم قال له لا تدعن أن تقول دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة: اللهم أعني على ذكرك وعلى شكرك وعلى حسن عبادتك ودبر كل صلاة يعني في آخر الصلاة قبل السلام، هكذا جاء في بعض الروايات أنه يقولها قبل السلام وهو حق، وكما ذكرنا لكم في أول الدرس أن المقيد بالدبر أي بدبر الصلاة إن كان دعاء فهو قبل التسليم وإن كان ذكرًا فهو بعد التسليم، ويدل لهذه القاعدة أن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم قال في حديث ابن مسعود في التشهد لما ذكره قال: ثم ليتخير من الدعاء ما شاء أو ما أحب أو أعجبه إليه أما في آخر الصلاة، أما الذكر فقال الله تعالى: فإذا قضيتم الصلاة فاذكروا الله قيامًا وقعودًا وعلى جنوبكم أعني على ذكرك يعني كل قول يقرب إلى الله كل فعل يقرب إلى الله كل تفكير يقرب إلى الله فهو من ذكر الله، وشكرك أي: شكر النعم واندفاع النقم، فكم من نعمة لله علينا، وكم من نقمة اندفعت عنا، فنشكر الله على ذلك، ونسأل الله أن يعيننا عليه وعلى حسن عبادتك وحسن العبادة يكون بأمرين بالإخلاص لله عز وجل كلما قوي الإخلاص كانت أحسن وبالمتابعة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم، والله الموفق. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from stinginess, and I seek refuge in You from cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from being returned to the worst of old age, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world, and I seek refuge in You from the trial of the grave. These are five things from which one should seek refuge in Allah. The first is stinginess, which is miserliness with wealth. The second is cowardice, which is miserliness with one’s self. Stinginess is when a person withholds what he is obligated to spend from his wealth, such as zakah, maintenance, honoring a guest, or the like. As for cowardice, it is when a person is miserly with his self; he does not step forward in jihad for fear of being killed, nor does he speak a word of truth for fear of being imprisoned, or the like. This is cowardice. And I seek refuge in You from being returned to the worst of old age. “The worst” means the lowest and most diminished state. This occurs in two ways. The first way is that a person suffers an incident that disrupts his intellect, causing him to ramble, so he is returned to the worst of old age and becomes like a child. This is seen in incidents where a person is struck and his brain is affected, becoming like a small child. The second way is due to old age, because as a person grows older, once he reaches forty years of age, he begins to decline. People differ; some decline greatly and others slightly, but he must decline once he reaches forty, for he has reached his fullness, and when a thing reaches its fullness, it begins to decline. Some people are returned to the worst of old age in their physical and mental powers; their bodies weaken and they need someone to carry them, perform their ablution, and direct them, or the like. Or it is mental, such that they ramble and do not know what they are saying. Being returned to the worst of old age resembles both this and that, whether due to an incident or due to the passage of years. Then, when a person reaches this state—may Allah protect us and you from it—his family grows weary of him. His family, who are the most compassionate toward him, are burdened by him and grow weary of him, and they may place him in a location where the government takes responsibility for him. Undoubtedly, a person does not accept this; he does not accept reaching this state for himself. Also, prayer is lifted from him, fasting is lifted from him, and obligations are lifted from him, because he has reached a state where legal responsibility is lifted from him. And I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world. How great is the trial of this world, and how many are the afflicted in this world, especially in our time. Our time is the time of trial, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By Allah, I do not fear poverty for you, but I fear that the world will be opened up to you and you will compete for it as those before you competed for it, and it will destroy you as it destroyed them.” This is the reality in our present time; the world has been opened to us from every side, in every thing, from every angle: houses like the palaces of kings, vehicles like the vehicles of kings, clothing, food, and drink. It has been opened, so people now have no concern except their bellies and their private parts. They are afflicted in this world; may Allah grant us safety. The trial of this world is great, and a person must be alert to it. For this reason, Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: “Indeed, the promise of Allah is true, so do not let the worldly life delude you, and do not let the deceiver delude you regarding Allah.” And I seek refuge in You from the trial of the grave, or from the punishment of the grave. The trial of the grave is also a great trial. When the deceased is buried and his companions depart, he can even hear the sound of their sandals as they leave him. Two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his Prophet. If he is a sincere believer, he answers correctly, saying: “My Lord is Allah, my Prophet is Muhammad, and my religion is Islam.” If he is doubtful or a hypocrite—may Allah protect us and you from that—he says: “I do not know, I do not know.” Then he is struck with an iron mallet. They said that the mallet is like a hammer. It was reported in some hadiths that if the people of Mina gathered to lift it, they would not be able to lift it because of its greatness; may Allah grant us safety. He then lets out a scream that everything hears, everything except the two heavy ones, meaning the jinn and mankind. This is from the mercy of Allah the Exalted that He does not let us hear the punishment of the grave. If we heard people being punished in their graves, our lives would not be pleasant and it would be distressing for us. If it were a relative, it would be distressing for us in two ways: because of his kinship and because of these disturbing sounds. If it were not a relative, we would still be distressed by it. So the trial of the grave is a great trial; may Allah help us and you against it. These are things that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) taught his Companions, five things: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from stinginess, and I seek refuge in You from cowardice, and I seek refuge in You from being returned to the worst of old age, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of this world, and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, or from the trial of the grave.” As for the hadith of Mu'adh, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “I love you,” and he swore, saying: “By Allah, I love you.” This is a great virtue for Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that our Prophet (may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him) swore that he loved him. A lover does not withhold from his beloved except what is best for him. He said this to him so that he would be prepared for what he was about to tell him, because he was telling him out of love. Then he said to him: “Do not fail to say after every obligatory prayer: ‘O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best manner.’” “After every prayer” means at the end of the prayer, before the taslim. This is how it came in some narrations that he says it before the taslim, and this is correct. As we mentioned to you at the beginning of the lesson, what is qualified by “after,” meaning after the prayer, if it is a supplication, it is before the taslim, and if it is dhikr, it is after the taslim. The evidence for this rule is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud regarding the tashahhud, when he mentioned it: “Then let him choose from the supplications what he wishes, or what he loves, or what pleases him.” As for the end of the prayer, as for dhikr, Allah the Exalted said: “So when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on your sides.” I mean by “remembering You” every word that brings one closer to Allah, every action that brings one closer to Allah, and every thought that brings one closer to Allah; it is all from the remembrance of Allah. And “thank You” means thanking for blessings and the repelling of calamities. How many blessings Allah has bestowed upon us, and how many calamities He has averted from us. So we thank Allah for that, and we ask Allah to help us with it. And “to worship You in the best manner.” The best worship is achieved by two things: sincerity to Allah the Mighty and Majestic; the stronger the sincerity, the better it is, and following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). And may Allah grant success.