‘A’isha said that the Prophet used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from slackness, decrepitude, debt and sin. O God, I seek refuge in Thee from the punishment in hell, the trial hell, the trial in the grave, (2) the punishment in the grave, the evil of the trial of riches, the evil of the trial of poverty, (3) and the evil of the testing of the antichrist. (4) O God, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart as a white garment is purified from filth, and put my sins as far away from me as Thou hast put the East from the West.”
2. Being unable to answer the two angels.
3. Riches may lead to oppression and poverty to envy.
4. al-Masih ad-dajjal. The false Christ who is to appear in the last days.
Anas said that the Prophet used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from care, grief, incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, the burden of debt, and being overpowered by men.”
Zaid b. Arqam said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude, and the punishment in the grave. O God, bring my soul to fear of Thee and purify it; Thou art the best of those who purify it; Thou art its Patron and Master. O God, I seek refuge in Thee from knowledge which does not profit, from a heart which is not submissive, from an appetite which is insatiable, and from a supplication which is not granted an answer.”
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Seek refuge in God from severe calamity, being overtaken by misery, (1) evil destiny, and the triumphant mockery of enemies.”
1. darak ash-shaqa. It might be translated “the depth of misery.” Cf. Qur’an, iv, 145 where the accepted reading is dark, although the word has also been read darak.
