What 70 things did the Prophet ﷺ seek protection from?

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

The Prophet ﷺ regularly asked Allah to protect him from many different trials and weaknesses. Scholars collected these prayers and found around seventy specific things he ﷺ sought refuge from.

Physical weakness and defects

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
1 Inability / helplessness العَجْز al-ʿajz Lack of strength or ability to act or fulfil obligations.
2 Old age الكِبَر al-kibar The natural weakness and frailty that comes with ageing.
3 Wretched old age الهَرَم al-haram Extreme old age where mental and physical abilities decline sharply.
4 Deafness الصَّمَم al-ṣamam Loss of the ability to hear.
5 Becoming mute البَكَم al-bakam Loss of the ability to speak or express oneself.
6 Disease البَرَص al-baraṣ A visible disease.
7 Serious disease الجُذَام al-judhām A chronic, deforming illness (often translated leprosy in hadith).
8 Hunger الجُوع al-jūʿ Extreme hunger or deprivation of food.
9 Harmful sickness سُوءِ الأَسْقَام sūʾ al-asqām Dangerous or debilitating illnesses.
10 Decrepit old age أَرْذَلِ العُمُر ardhali l-ʿumur Reaching the lowest, most dependent stage of life.

Personal and spiritual defects

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
11 Laziness الكَسَل al-kasal Lack of motivation to perform acts of worship or duties.
12 Cowardice الجُبْن al-jubn Fear that prevents one from doing what is right.
13 Miserliness البُخْل al-bukhl Withholding what one should give.
14 Madness الجُنُون al-junūn Loss of rationality or sanity.
15 Misguidance and going astray الضَّلَال al-ḍalāl Going astray in belief or practice.
16 Ignorance الجَهْل al-jahl Lack of knowledge or awareness.
17 Self-admiration العُجْب al-ʿujb Vanity; being impressed with oneself or one’s deeds.

Harmful deaths and calamities

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
18 Falling to one’s death التَّرَدِّي al-taraddī Dying by falling from a height.
19 Drowning الغَرَق al-gharaq Death by being submerged in water.
20 Being burnt to death الحَرَق al-ḥaraq Dying in a fire.
21 Death from a snake/scorpion bite اللَّدْغ al-ladgh Death caused by venomous bites or stings.
22 Poisonous creatures الهَامَة al-hāmah Harm from deadly creatures (classically: poisonous animals).
23 Death from being crushed الهَدْم al-hadm Death due to a building collapse or heavy impact.
24 Loss of well-being تَحَوُّلِ العَافِيَة taḥawwul al-ʿāfiyah Health turning into sickness or harm.
25 Loss of safety / collapse of hope اِنْقِطَاعِ الرَّجَاءِ inqiṭāʿ al-rajāʾ Losing security or optimism suddenly.
26 Sudden punishment فُجَاءَةِ النِّقْمَة fujaʾat al-niqmah Unexpected calamity or divine chastisement.
27 Severe hardship الجَهْد al-jahd Crushing difficulty and exhaustion.
28 Bad death سُوءِ المِيتَة sūʾ al-mītah Dying in a disgraceful or spiritually dangerous state.

 

Spiritual and moral dangers

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
29 Disbelief الكُفْر al-kufr Rejecting Allah or His message.
30 Shirk الشِّرْك al-shirk Associating partners with Allah.
31 Sinful rebellion الفِسْق al-fisq Open and continuous sinfulness.
32 Hypocrisy النِّفَاق al-nifāq Pretending to believe while hiding disbelief.
33 Showing off الرِّيَاء al-riyāʾ Doing acts of worship to impress people.
34 Seeking praise السُّمْعَة al-sumʿah Wanting one’s deeds to be heard of and praised.
35 Heedlessness الغَفْلَة al-ghaflah Being unaware or negligent of Allah.
36 Hard-heartedness قَسْوَةُ القَلْب qaswat al-qalb A heart unmoved by remembrance or mercy.
37 Fame الشُّهْرَة al-shuhrah Seeking reputation and status.
38 Knowledge of no benefit عِلْمٌ لَا يَنْفَع ʿilm lā yanfaʿ Knowledge that does not bring action or benefit.
39 Heart without humility قَلْبٌ لَا يَخْشَع qalb lā yakhshaʿ A heart unmoved by awe of Allah.
40 Insatiable soul نَفْسٌ لَا تَشْبَع nafs lā tashbaʿ A soul that is never content.
41 Unanswered prayer دَعْوَةٌ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا daʿwah lā yustajābu lahā Supplication rejected because of one’s sins or state.
42 Eyes that shed no tears عَيْنٌ لَا تَدْمَع ʿayn lā tadmaʿ A heart unmoved, unable to weep from fear of Allah.
43 Evil of the self شَرُّ النَّفْس sharr al-nafs The inner tendencies toward sin.
44 Whisperings of hypocrisy … waswās al-nifāq Hidden doubts or insincerity in belief.
45 Bad morals مُنْكَرَاتُ الأَخْلَاق munkarāt al-akhlaq Blameworthy manners and behaviour.
46 The devil الشَّيْطَان al-shayṭān Satan’s temptations and whispers.
47 Allah’s wrath جَمِيعِ سَخَطِكَ jamīʿ sakhaṭik Experiencing any form of Divine anger.
48 Relapse into misguidance وَأَنْ نُرَدَّ عَلَى أَدْبَارِنَا wa-an nuradda ʿalā adbārinā Falling back into sin or disbelief after guidance.
49 Evil within creation شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ sharr mā khalaq Harm that exists within created beings.

Social and worldly harms

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
50 Destitution الفَقْر al-faqr Deep poverty and lack of means.
51 Humiliation الذِّلَّة al-dhillah Being disgraced or lowered in status.
52 Neediness المَسْكَنَة / الفَاقَة al-maskanah / al-fāqah Reliance on others due to hardship.
53 Extreme poverty جَهْدُ الفَقْر jahd al-faqr Poverty that crushes a person’s dignity.
54 Overpowering debt غَلَبَةُ الدَّيْن ghalabat al-dayn Debt that dominates a person’s life.
55 Crippling debt ضَلْعُ الدَّيْن ḍalʿ al-dayn A heavy, suffocating financial burden.
56 Being subjugated by others قَهْرُ الرِّجَال qahr al-rijāl Being dominated, controlled, or oppressed.
57 Injustice / oppression الظُّلْم al-ẓulm Wrongfully taking away people’s rights.
58 Betrayal الخِيَانَة al-khiyānah Treachery or breaking trust.
59 Bad neighbours in the Hereafter جَارُ السُّوء jāru l-sūʾ A harmful companion in the Hereafter (Hell neighbour).
60 Envy of the envier حَسَدُ الحَاسِد ḥasad al-ḥāsid Harm caused by envious people.
61 Discord الشِّقَاق al-shiqāq Conflict, division, or hostility.
62 Humiliation by calamity الهَوَان al-hawān Being disgraced due to trials.
Evil of created beings
English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
63 Bad destiny / misfortune سُوءُ القَضَاءِ sūʾ al-qaḍāʾ Harmful outcomes or difficult decrees.

Loss of safety

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
64 Decline of blessings زَوَالُ النِّعْمَة zawāl al-niʿmah Blessings being taken away.
65 Enemies gloating شَمَاتَةُ الأَعْدَاءِ shamātat al-aʿdāʾ Enemies rejoicing at your misfortune.

Emotional burdens

English Arabic Transliteration Explanation
66 Distress الغَمّ al-ghamm Deep anguish that weighs heavily on the heart.
67 Grief الحُزْن al-ḥuzn Sadness over past loss or pain.
68 Anxiety الهَمّ al-hamm Worry or fear about future harm.

Trials and tests

English Name Arabic Transliteration (with full diacritics) Explanation
69 Trial of life فِتْنَةِ المَحْيَا fitnati al-maḥyā The trials faced during one’s lifetime: temptations, desires, doubts, and spiritual challenges.
70 Trial of death فِتْنَةِ المَمَات fitnati al-mamāt The test at the moment of dying: fear, weakness, and Shayṭān trying to mislead.
71 Trial of the grave فِتْنَةِ القَبْر fitnati al-qabr Questioning by the angels, pressure of the grave, and tests of belief after burial.
72 Punishment of the grave عَذَابِ القَبْر ʿadhābi al-qabr Physical or spiritual punishment in the grave due to sins; different from the “fitnah” of questioning.
73 Trial of the False Messiah فِتْنَةِ المَسِيحِ الدَّجَّال fitnati al-masīḥi ad-dajjāl The greatest trial of humanity: deception, false miracles, and misguidance caused by the Dajjāl.
74 Trial of wealth فِتْنَةِ المَال fitnati al-māl Being corrupted or distracted by money, greed, pride, or forgetting Allah due to wealth.
75 Trial of children فِتْنَةِ الوَلَد fitnati al-walad Being tested through one’s children: emotional strain, financial burden, or being diverted from worship.

Seek refuge in Salah

At the end of the prayer, the Prophet ﷺ would teach his companions to focus on what matters the most. Though he ﷺ sought protection from many things, if we had to pick four things out of all of them, the most important would be four which he mentioned in the hadith


‏عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن النبي ﷺ كان يقول:
«‏اللَّهُمَّ إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر، وأعوذ بك من عذاب جهنم، وأعوذ بك من فتنة المحيا والممات، وأعوذ بك من شر فتنة المسيح الدجال»

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to say:
“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hellfire, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of the trial of the false messiah (al-Masiḥ al-Dajjal).” (Muslim)

Four matters of refuge

Why are these four things so important?

  1. The punishment of the Hellfire (ʿadhāb al-jahannam)
    Jahannam is not something that will only be created in the future; it already exists. In the Night Journey (al-Israʾ wa-l-Miʿraj), the Prophet ﷺ was shown both Paradise and Hellfire. Narrations describe Hell restrained by seventy thousand chains, each held by angels of immense size and strength. Its punishment is severe because its people, if left to live for thousands of years, would persist in harming others and spreading corruption without end. Thus their punishment is without end. But seeking refuge is not meant to be lip service. It is a contradiction to pray, “O Allah, protect me from Hellfire,” while one actively pursues what leads to it, such as intoxicants, gambling, usury, oppression, or other major sins. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim remarked that duʿaʾ without action is a form of mockery. Asking for protection must therefore be coupled with striving to avoid what incurs that punishment.
  2. The punishment of the grave (ʿadhab al-qabr)
    Once a person enters the grave, their actions are sealed. There is no chance to add or amend deeds. This is why the Prophet ﷺ emphasised the need to prepare for this stage. The grave is not a place of neutrality; it is either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of Hell.
  3. The trials of life and death (fitnat al-mahya wa-l-mamat)
    Life brings endless tests – desires, doubts, temptations, injustices, and distractions that can lead one astray. Death too brings its trial, when the angels question the soul. Success in these tests depends on how one lived, believed, and acted.
  4. The trial of the false messiah (fitnat al-Masīḥ al-Dajjal)
    This is described as the greatest tribulation to ever face humanity, marked by deception, false miracles, and mass misguidance. Every prophet warned their people about the Dajjāl, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ urged us to seek refuge from him regularly in our prayers.

The end of salah should not be about reciting words on autopilot. It is a daily training in focus and refocus, reminding ourselves of ultimate realities. Protection from Hellfire, from the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the Dajjal are not abstract concepts. They are real dangers. When we remember them sincerely, our duʿa becomes active and our deeds become more focused.

Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Hadith Class 13th September 2025

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