Ayyub (AS) (Job) was one of

the Prophets of Bani Israil

(People of Israel). Ayyub
was the grandson of Is'haq
(AS) (Isaac) and Ibrahim
(AS) (Abraham) was his
great-grandfather.
Allah, be He exalted, says
what can be translated as,
And among his progeny
Ayyb (Job), Sulaimn
(Solomon), Ysuf (Joseph),
Ms (Moses), and Hrn
(Aaron) (TMQ, Al-
Anam:84) (1).

From the family of Ibrahim

were Bani Israil through
his son, Is'haq, and the
Arabs through his son,
Ismail (AS) (Ishmael).
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
 is the only prophet of
Ismails descendants.

Because of their
widespread corruption,
Bani Israil were sent one
prophet after another.
Every prophet had a
message for the people;
Yunus (AS) message was:
never give up calling people
to Allah. Sulaimans (AS)
message was: Allah is able
to subject the universe to
man and man should
employ it to worship Allah.
The universe praised Allah
with Dawud (AS), and that
was his message. And
Ayyubs (AS) message was
the faith of patience.
 Ayyub (AS) is a prophet
who was sent to people in
Biladush-sham (the
Levant), the vast majority
were believers and loved
him already. Allah
bestowed wondrous
blessings upon him; no one
before was granted such
blessings, and he remained
like that for fifty years. No
one is tried as greatly as an
honorable man who has lost
all his fortunes.
Todays story is addressed
to two kinds of people:
those who have misfortune,
such as an ailing family
member, those who became
bankrupt, those who lost a
son and the like; and others
who live a blessed life
without even realizing that
they do, or that they might
lose it one day.

Think about the blessings

Ayyub (AS) had: money,
countless barley and wheat
fields, hundreds of slaves, a
good and beautiful wife,
physical strength, fourteen
sons and daughters, he had
faith and assurance, an
unlimited number of
friends, cattle, horses, and
livestock. All that lasted for
fifty years.

Allah, be He exalted,
wanted to examine him, so
He deprived him of his
money, his lands became
barren, the fourteen sons
 and daughters all died, the
cattle were lost, and he had
to sell the slaves just to pay
for his expenses. Allah then
put him to another test
with a physical disease. He
became crippled and unable
to move. His friends
thought his illness was
contagious and shunned
him as a result; he was left
with his faithful wife and
only two of his resolved
friends.

Allah says what can be

translated as, As for man,
when his Lord tries him by
giving him honor and
bounties, then he says (in
exultation), My Lord has
honored me. But when He
tries him by straitening his
means of life, he says, My
Lord has humiliated me!
Nay! But you treat not the
orphans with kindness and
generosity! And urge not
one another on the feeding
of the poor! And you devour
the inheritanceall with
greed. And you love wealth
with a great love. Nay!
When the earth is ground
to powder, and your Lord
comes with the angels in
rows; and Hell will be
brought near that Day. On
that Day will man
remember, but how will
that remembrance (then)
avail him? (TMQ, Al-Fajr:
15-23).
Happiness and affliction are
both tests from Allah, the
Great and Almighty. Never
rely on this worldly life, or
feel secure against the Plan
of Allah. Allah wants to let
you know that this worlds
treasures are worth
nothing; so never let them
take over your heart.
Instead, work for it because
you are a Muslim.

His wife fed him and cared

for him; she spent money
on him until it had run out,
so she started working for
other people for money.
The ordeal lasted for 18
years.
 Allah created the universe
in six days only to show us
that everything works out
gradually if there is
patience. This shows us
that perfection is the
outcome of patience,
prayer to Allah, night
prayers, and obedience to
Allahs commands, such as
the Hijab (Head Scarf), etc.
It also shows us that
imperfection comes out of
impatience, such as
adultery, and stealing, etc.
Patience is the core of
Islam. The evidence is that
the story of Prophet Ayyub
(AS) is about patience, not
prophecy. The only
attribute that has been
mentioned ninety times in
Holly Quran is patience,
and after it there is always
a mention of optimistic
news such as, give glad
tidings to the ones who
patiently persevere
(TMQ, Al-Baqarah: 155).

I personally sensed a
magical influence in this
verse.
I met a young man once
who was coming to a cleric
complaining about his
extreme hatred towards his
wife and his intention to
divorce her. All the same,
the young man was still
afraid to mistreat her. The
cleric recited the verse I
just mentioned and asked
him to think about it. So,
the young man left and I
met him a month later and
 asked him about the
matter. He said, I put two
things in front of me: I
either put up with this
situation and go to
Paradise without reckoning,
or I rely on the worldly life
and divorce herso, I chose
the first one. I swear to
Allah, I cant live without
her now. This is the result
of his patience. Allah
granted him blessings in his
present life and put the
love of his wife into his
heart.

Allah (SWT) says what can

be translated as, And seek
help in patience and prayer
and truly it is extremely
heavy and hard except for
the humble spirited. (TMQ,
Al-Baqarah: 45). And in
another verse He says what
can be translated as, So
be patient. Surely, the
(good) end is for those
conscious of Allah (TMQ,
Hud: 49). The Prophet
(PBUH) says, "You should
know that victory comes
with patience. (Sahih al-
Albany, 315). Allah also
addresses the Prophet
(PBUH) by saying what can
be translated as, So wait
with patience for the
Decision of your Lord, and
be not like the Companion
of the Fish (TMQ, Al-
Qalam: 48). And indeed
We made a covenant with
Adam before, but he forgot,
and We found on his part
 no firm will-power (TMQ,
Ta-Ha: 115). Another verse
addressed to the believers
can be translated as, O,
you who believe! Endure
and be more patient (than
your enemy), help others to
be patient, and guard your
territory by stationing army
units permanently at the
places from where the
enemy can attack you.
(TMQ, Al-Imran: 200).
If patience has no
sweetness except that it is
one of Allahs noble names
that would be enough.
The Prophet (PBUH) said,
No one would be given
better and weightier
blessing than patience.
(Bukhari).
 After 18 years, the wife of
prophet Ayyub (AS) started
to become tired. She asked
him once, Are you a
messenger and prophet?
Yes, he said. Why dont
you ask Allah for relief?
she asked. How long have
we been in this ordeal? he
asked her. Eighteen
years she said. How long
did we remain with
blessings before that? he
asked her Fifty years, she
answered. Allah granted
us 50 years of blessing,
then why cant we stand
this ordeal for 50 years? I
swear to Allah, I wont ask
Allah until I have as much
time of suffering as I had of
blessing.
 The only words he said in
praying to Allah were
Thanks be to Allah.
(Israiliyat related from
Suddi) (2).
That reminds us of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) the day
his son Ibrahim died. He
made this supplication to
Allah saying, Here I am, at
Your command, the good is
all in Your hands, and the
evil is not due to You. Here
I am at your command.
The wife of our prophet
Ayyub (AS) got angry and
said, I beg you to pray, for
how long will we stay in
this suffering? He
answered, Woe unto you!
Do you enrage Allah, be He
exalted? I swear to Allah, if
 He cured me, Ill beat you
one hundred times. (Isr.
From Suddi).

People then started

refusing his wife as a
servant, thinking she might
carry her husbands disease
to them.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
mentions all this. He said,
Prophet Ayyub endured
trial for eighteen years.
Relatives and
acquaintances shunned him
except two of his kinsmen.
One day one of them said
to the other I swear to
Allah that Ayyub has
committed a great and
unforgivable sin. Never!
the other answered. Cant
 you see the affliction he is
in? Allah did not have
mercy on him for eighteen
years, said the first one.
The two went to Ayyub and
the second man said, Do
you know what this man
was saying? He said you
have committed a great sin,
so Allah will not forgive
you. Ayyub said, I know
nothing of what you both
are saying, but I know that
whenever I passed by two
quarrelling people I came
back home praying for Allah
to conciliate between them,
and gave charity for them
so Allah would not be
disobeyed. That affected
him deeply. (Isr. From
Abdullah bin Ubaid bin
Umair).
 His wife brought plenty of
food home one day. He
said, From where have you
brought this food? She
didnt answer; it turned out
that she cut a braid from
her hair and sold it to get
food for them. He was
deeply touched by that and
found himself compelled to
pray for Allah. He said what
can be translated as, And
(remember) Ayyb, when
he cried to his Lord, "Verily,
distress has seized me, and
You are the Most Merciful
of all those who show
mercy." (TMQ, Al-Anbiyah:
83). He never ascribed
distress to Allah. In another
verse Allah says what can
 be translated as, And
remember Our slave Ayyb,
when he invoked his Lord
(saying): "Verily Satan has
touched me with distress
and torment! (TMQ, Saad:
41).

Allah says what can be

translated as, So We
answered his call. Allah
said to him, "Strike the
ground with your foot: This
is (a spring of) water to
wash in, cool and a
(refreshing) drink." (TMQ,
Saad: 42).

Here we can touch upon the

sense that when you are
about to do something you
have to implement the
 means. Allah caused a
spring of water to flow from
beneath his feet; a spring
to cure all external diseases
and a drink for the internal
ones. That is a proof that
Allah can cure us with only
a mouthful of water.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
said, Whenever Ayyub
went outdoors to answer
the call of nature he leaned
on his wife, and then hid
from her. She led him back
usually holding his hand.
One time he was late. The
Prophet continues, He
returned to his wife much
better than he was [in
shining white robes and
perfect, young-looking
body] so she said Allah
bless you! Have you seen
 the afflicted prophet who
was here before? I swear
Ive never met anyone who
looked like him as much as
you do, before he was
afflicted. Cant you
recognize me? he asked.
No, she said. Its me,
Ayyub, he answered. (Ibn
Abu Hatim from Abdullah
Ibn Abbas).

Allah says what can be

translated as, And that it
is He (Allah) Who makes
(whom He wills) laugh, and
makes (whom He wills)
weep. And that it is He
(Allah) Who causes death
and gives life. (TMQ, An-
Najm: 43, 44).
 The blessings were all
given back to himhis
health, his strengththey
were even much better
than before. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) told us
that Allah sent two clouds
over his lands; a cloud
passed on the wheat field
and rained gold until the
field was filled, while the
other passed over the
barley field and rained on it
until it became full. So
Allah enriched him again.
Allah says what can be
translated as, and We
restored his family to him
(that he had lost) and the
like thereof along with
them as a mercy from
Ourselves and a Reminder
 for all those who worship
Us (TMQ, Al-Anbiyah: 84).

His wife was given her

youth back again and bore
him 26 sons and daughters,
as if Allah was saying, You
were not tested, everything
has been given back to you
and more.
Strangely enough, The
Prophet (PBUH) says,
While Ayyub was bathing
naked, Allah sent a group
of locusts that started
falling on him, and they
turned out to be golden
locusts. He stuffed his
garments pockets with
them so Allah, be He
exalted, said Oh Ayyub,
havent I given you
enough? He said Sure you
 did Allah, but I can never
dispense with your
blessing. (Bukhari,
Ahmad).
Truly! We found him
patient. How excellent a
slave! Verily he was ever
oft returning in repentance
(to Us)! (TMQ, Saad: 44).

_______________________________
_____________________
1) TMQ=Translation of the
Meaning of the Qur'an.
This translation is for the
realized meaning, so far,
of the stated (Surah:Ayah)
of the Qur'an. Reading the
translated meaning of the
Qur'an can never replace
reading it in Arabic, the
language in which it was
revealed.
2) Editors note: Often, with
the stories of the Biblical
Prophets, the scholars
have used Israiliyat
stories or explanations
that came to us through
Jews and Christians who
accepted Islam. These
stories are neither found
in the Quran nor in the
Sunnah of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) but
may come from the Bible
or oral traditions. The
Israiliyat are only used to
add detail to the prophets
stories if they do not
contradict the Quran or
Sunnah. They will be cited
in this text by either
(Israiliyat) or (Isr.)