The 25 Prophets: (13) Ayyub (AS) (Job)

AYYUB (AS) (JOB)

He is Ayyub bin Muws bin Razaah bin Al-A’ys bin Ishaaq bin Ibrahim (AS), his mother is Luut's daughter. He and the rest of the Prophets are ancestors of Ishaaq (AS) except for Muhammad (SAW); who is an ancestor of Ismail (AS). He was sent to the people of Hawraan in Shaam.

God gave him all the worldly comforts and riches, he had a lot of animals and plantations and was very rich and prosperous. He had seven sons and seven daughters, and was very healthy and strong and very handsome. His people used to like him very much and had many friends, as he was kind and generous. Ayyub (AS) was known for his honesty, perseverance and piety. He was given the name of As-Siddiq in Arabic meaning the righteous. He had faith in God to extremes. He got the name of Ayyub, coming from an Arabic word Ayyaba meaning to return, that is to say God took everything from him and then returned to him what He took.

God gave him a lot of physical tests to see how strong his faith was. He had a lot of ups-and--downs in his life suffering a number of calamities, all his children got crushed under his roof, and lost his wealth and everything he had. He tolerated all this and held fast to his faith in God; just thanked his Lord for what he had, left. He got a very bad disease and was bedridden for a long time with only his wife to nurse him. Eventually God gave him back what he had lost; he was restored prosperity, with twice as much as he had before. His friends and his brethren came back to him; and had a new family of seven sons and three fair daughters. He lived to the age of sixty-three years, and saw four generations of his descendants.

Ayyub (AS) was very devoted to God and feared Him very much. He was also very grateful to Him. Whatever he got or whenever he ate anything he always thanked his Lord. If anything bad happened to him he remained calm and prays to God to save him from the calamities. God gave him more and more tests to see if he could persevere to a stage that he might set an example to others. God wanted Ayyub (AS) to be an example to us all. We should know that whatever happens to us is what God has decreed. Ayyub (AS) was the first man who went through a lot of hardships and suffering. He persevered and passed all the tests.

The first stage of these tests was that he lost all his wealth and became very poor, but he never despaired and instead he prayed to his Lord. Secondly all his children died and remained alone with his wife, the grief which he also he tolerated. He continued praying to God. After this he had a very deadly disease that he became so ill and was nothing but a skeleton. All his friends had left him and had only his wife to nurse him. He persevered all this and kept on praying to God.

His wife remained with him nursing and feeding him; until they had no more to live on. She then took up a job so as to get a little income. Ayyub (AS) remained in this state for eighteen years without complaining even to his wife, only praying and hoping that God would make him better.

When Satan saw that Ayyub (AS) had gone through all the tough tests without losing his faith in God, he was not happy. So he thought of getting to him through his wife, and poked into her mind. He reminded her of the good old days and all the things they had — the riches, the children and the friends who were then all gone. He went on asking her for how much longer she could persevere that state of suffering.

The wife therefore went to Ayyub (AS) and said to him:

“0 my husband! For how long will your God torture you? Where are your riches, your children, and your strength and the good health you had? Even your friends have left you. At least pray to your Lord to give you recovery”

He said to her: "No doubt Satan has got into your head. You are now crying for the lost riches, the dead children and the good life. Those are the days gone; this is what our Lord wishes us to be. How long did you live that life?"

She said: "Eighty years."

He said: "And how long have you lived in sufferings?

She said: "Eighteen years."

Ayyub said: "I feel ashamed to my Lord to ask him to save me from this catastrophe, if I look back to the years I lived in comfort. I feel that your faith has become weak, if I had the strength I would thrash you one hundred times. Get out of my sight and from today onwards I do not want to be nursed by you, neither will I accept to be fed from your hand. So leave me alone until my Lord decides on my fate."

Thus Ayyub (AS) was left alone, and eventually he prayed to God.

And (remember) Job, when he cried to his Lord, 'Truly distress has seized me, but Thou art the Most Merciful of those that are Merciful.' *So We listened to him, We removed the distress that was on him. And We restored his people to him, and doubled their number, --as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Use.* (Al-Anbiyaa 83-84)

To this stage Ayyub (AS) had reached the state where he was considered to be the most persevering person with full faith to God Almighty, and was an example to the human race.

(The command was given): "Strike with thy foot, here is (water) wherein to wash, cool and refreshing, and (water) to drink."* (Saad 42)

He was ordered to hit the ground with his foot, and a fountain of water gushed forth to give him a bath and clean his body, to refresh his spirits; and to give him a drink. When he had done that, immediately, he became healthier, stronger and younger than before. His wife meanwhile had softened down and returned to him, and when she arrived at first she could not recognize him, she asked him: "Where is that old ailing man who was here?"

He said to her: "Do you not recognize me? I am your husband!" With God's miracle, she also became as young as she was before, and she bore for him ten new children.

After this God commanded him to put hundred straws together and beat his wife with them once, as to carry out the oath he had made when she went astray:

"And take in thy hand a little grass, and strike therewith and break not (thy oath)." Truly We found him full of patience and constancy. How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)! *(Saad 44)

This is a lesson that God teaches us through Ayyub (AS), as an example, of what he has gone through his life. Therefore one is supposed to think hard and realize that it is God who is the Cherisher, He is Most Gracious, Most Merciful. We should all learn from what Ayyub (AS) had gone through, and realise that all we get, good or bad, comes from God. He is the one who bestows means of living, gives health and prosperity at any time to anyone He wishes. He also takes away this means at any time from anyone He wishes. We are to thank Him for His generosity and if at any time, find ourselves in a kind of calamity, He is the one we should turn to and ask for his mercy. He, who can persevere through any calamity, is said to have Ayyub's perseverance.

One must not look up to a person who is above him and wish to be like him or better than him. For example one should not look up to someone who has a big house and wish he could have one like or better, that that one should look down to the one who lives in a hut and thank God that he has a roof over his head. If you are well, healthy and on your two feet doing your business, then you think about the one who is lame and can not walk.

Reference: The Twenty five Prophets (The Parable of the Apostles Mentioned in the Holy Quraan)", by Nassir ibn Issa ibn Said Al-Kindy. (p 89-93)