Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Ayyub (Job) and how He
tested him. These tests afflicted his body, his wealth and his children, until
there was no part of his body that was healthy except his heart. Then he had
nothing left in this world which he could use to help him deal with his sickness
or the predicament he was in, besides his wife, who retained her devotion to him
because of her faith in Allah and His Messenger. She used to work for people as
a paid servant, and she fed and served him (Ayyub) for nearly eighteen years.
Before that, he was very rich and had many children, being well off in worldly
terms. All of that had been taken away until he ended up being thrown into the
city dump where he stayed all this time, shunned by relatives and strangers
alike, with the exception of his wife -- may Allah be pleased with her. She did
not leave him, morning and evening, except for when she was serving people, then
she would come straight back to him. When this had gone on for a long time, and
things had gotten very bad, and the time allotted by divine decree had come to
an end, Ayyub prayed to the Lord of the worlds, the God of the Messengers, and
said:
[أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ
الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ]
(Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those
who show mercy.) (21:83). And according to this Ayah:
[وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَآ
أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ الشَّيْطَـنُ بِنُصْبٍ وَعَذَابٍ
]
(And remember Our servant Ayyub, when he invoked his Lord (saying): "Verily,
Shaytan has afflicted me with distress and torment!'') It was said that
"distress'' referred to bodily afflictions and "torment'' referred to the loss
of his wealth and children. Then the Most Merciful of those who show mercy
responded to him, telling him to stand up and strike the ground with his foot.
He did this, and Allah caused a spring of water to flow. He commanded him to
wash in it, and all the pain and affliction in his body disappeared. Then He
commanded him to strike the ground in a different place, and Allah caused
another spring to flow, and Ayyub was commanded to drink from it. Then all his
internal problems disappeared, and he became healthy again, inside and out.
Allah says:
[ارْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ
هَـذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ ]
(Strike the ground with your foot. This is (a spring of) water to wash in,
cool and a (refreshing) drink.) Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Anas
bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said:
«إِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ
أَيُّوبَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لَبِثَ بِهِ بَلَاؤُهُ ثَمَانِيَ
عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً، فَرَفَضَهُ الْقَرِيبُ وَالْبَعِيدُ، إِلَّا رَجُلَيْنِ كَانَا
مِنْ أَخَصِّ إِخْوَانِهِ بِهِ، كَانَا يَغْدُوَانِ إِلَيْهِ وَيَرُوحَانِ، فَقَالَ
أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ: تَعْلَمُ وَاللهِ لَقَدْ أَذْنَبَ أَيُّوبُ ذَنْبًا مَا
أَذْنَبَهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ: وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ:
مُنْذُ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً لَمْ يَرْحَمْهُ اللهُ فَيَكْشِفَ مَا بِهِ،
فَلَمَّا رَاحَا إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَصْبِرِ الرَّجُلُ حَتْى ذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ،
فَقَالَ أَيُّوبُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: لَا أَدْرِي مَا تَقُولُ،
غَيْرَ أَنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ أَمُرُّ عَلَى
الرَّجُلَيْنِ يَتَنَازَعَانِ فَيَذْكُرَانِ اللهَ تَعَالَى، فَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى
بَيْتِي فَأُكَفِّرُ عَنْهُمَا كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يُذْكَرَ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَّا
فِي حَقَ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ يَخْرُجُ إِلَى حَاجَتِهِ،فَإِذَا قَضَاهَا أَمْسَكَتِ
امْرَأَتُهُ بِيَدِهِ حَتْى يَبْلُغَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ أَبْطَأَ
عَلَيْهَا، فَأَوْحَى اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَى أَيُّوبَ عَلَيْهِ
الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ أَن
[ارْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ
هَـذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ ]
فَاسْتَبْطَأَتْهُ
(فَتَلَقَّتْهُ) تَنْظُرُ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهَا وَقَدْ أَذْهَبَ اللهُ مَا بِهِ
مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ وَهُوَ عَلَى أَحْسَنِ مَا كَانَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ قَالَتْ: أَيْ
بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكَ، هَلْ رَأَيْتَ نَبِيَّ اللهِ هَذَا الْمُبْتَلَى، فَوَاللهِ
عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا أَشْبَهَ بِهِ مِنْكَ إِذْ كَانَ صَحِيحًا.
قَالَ: فَإِنِّي أَنَا هُوَ، قَالَ: وَكَانَ لَهُ أَنْدَرَانِ: أَنْدَرٌ لِلْقَمْحِ
وَأَنْدَرٌ لِلشَّعِيرِ، فَبَعَثَ اللهُ تَعَالَى سَحَابَتَيْنِ فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ
إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى أَنْدَرِ الْقَمْحِ، أَفْرَغَتْ فِيهِ الذَّهَبَ حَتْى فَاضَ،
وَأَفْرَغَتِ الْأُخْرَى فِي أَنْدَرِ الشَّعِيرِ حَتْى فَاض»
(Allah's Prophet Ayyub, peace be upon him, suffered for eighteen years from
his affliction and was shunned by relatives and strangers alike, besides two men
who were the closest of his brothers to him. They used to visit him every
morning and every evening. One of them said to his companion, "You know, by
Allah, that Ayyub committed a great sin which nobody in the world ever
committed.'' His companion said, "Why are you saying that'' He said, "For
eighteen years he has been suffering and Allah has not had mercy on him and
relieve his suffering.'' When he went to him the next morning, the (second) man
could not wait to tell this to Ayyub. Ayyub, peace be upon him, said, "I do not
know what you are talking about, but Allah knows if I passed by two men who were
arguing and they mentioned the Name of Allah, I would go back home and offer
expiation lest they had mentioned the Name of Allah in an improper manner. ''
Whenever he went out to answer the call of nature, when he finished, his wife
would take his hand until he came back home. One day he took a long time, and
Allah had revealed to Ayyub, (Strike the ground with your foot. This is (a
spring of) water to wash in, cool and a (refreshing) drink.) She thought that he
had taken too long, so she turned to look at him, and saw that Allah had taken
away the afflictions he had been suffering, and he looked better than he had
ever looked. When she saw him, she said, "May Allah bless you! Have you seen
Allah's Prophet, the one who is sorely tested By Allah, I have never seen a man
who looks more like him than you, if he were healthy.'' He said, "I am he.'' He
had two threshing floors, one for wheat and one for barley. Allah sent two
clouds, and when one of them reached the threshing floor of the wheat, it rained
gold until it was full. The other rained gold on the threshing floor of the
barley until it was full.) This is the wording of Ibn Jarir, may Allah have
mercy on him. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with
him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said:
«بَيْنَمَا أَيُّوبُ
يَغْتَسِلُ عُرْيَانًا خَرَّ عَلَيْهِ جَرَادٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فَجَعَلَ أَيُّوبُ
عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ يَحْثُو فِي ثَوْبِهِ، فَنَادَاهُ رَبُّهُ عَزَّ
وَجَلَّ يَا أَيُّوبُ، أَلَمْ أَكُنْ أَغْنَيْتُكَ عَمَّا تَرَى قَالَ عَلَيْهِ
الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: بَلَى يَا رَبِّ، وَلَكِنْ لَا غِنى بِي عَنْ
بَرَكَتِك»
(While Ayyub was bathing naked, locusts of gold fell upon him. Ayyub, peace
be upon him, began gathering them in his garment. Then his Lord called to him,
"O Ayyub, have I not made you so rich that you have no need of what you see''
He, peace be upon him, said, "Yes, O Lord! But I cannot do without Your
blessing!'') This was only recorded by Al-Bukhari.
[وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ
أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمْ مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَذِكْرَى لاٌّوْلِى
الاٌّلْبَـبِ ]
(And We gave him (back) his family, and along with them the like thereof, as
a mercy from Us, and a reminder for those who understand.) Al-Hasan and Qatadah
said, "Allah brought his family themselves back to life, and added others like
them.''
[رَحْمَةً
مِّنَّا]
(as a mercy from Us,) means, in return for his patience, steadfastness,
repentance, humility and constant turning to Allah.
[وَذِكْرَى لاٌّوْلِى
الاٌّلْبَـبِ]
(and a reminder for those who understand.) means, for those who understand
that the consequence of patience is a solution and a way out.
[وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ
ضِغْثاً فَاضْرِب بِّهِ وَلاَ تَحْنَثْ]
(And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your
wife), and break not your oath.) Ayyub, peace be upon him, got angry with his
wife and was upset about something she had done, so he swore an oath that if
Allah healed him, he would strike her with one hundred blows. When Allah healed
him, how could her service, mercy, compassion and kindness be repaid with a
beating So Allah showed him a way out, which was to take a bundle of thin grass,
with one hundred stems, and hit her with it once. Thus he fulfilled his oath and
avoided breaking his vow. This was the solution and way out for one who had
Taqwa of Allah and turned to Him in repentance. Allah says:
[إِنَّا وَجَدْنَـهُ
صَابِراً نِّعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ]
(Truly, We found him patient. How excellent a servant! Verily, he was ever
oft-returning in repentance (to Us)!) Allah praised and commanded him, saying,
[نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ
إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ]
(How excellent a servant! Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to
Us)!) Allah says:
[فَإِذَا بَلَغْنَ
أَجَلَهُنَّ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ فَارِقُوهُنَّ بِمَعْرُوفٍ
وَأَشْهِدُواْ ذَوَى عَدْلٍ مِّنكُمْ وَأَقِيمُواْ الشَّهَـدَةَ لِلَّهِ ذَلِكُمْ
يُوعَظُ بِهِ مَن كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وَمَن يَتَّقِ
اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مَخْرَجاً - وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَن
يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَـلِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ
جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدْراً ]
(And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out
(from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could
imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.
Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for
all things.) (65:2-3)
[وَاذْكُرْ
عِبَادَنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ أُوْلِى الاٌّيْدِى وَالاٌّبْصَـرِ
- إِنَّآ أَخْلَصْنَهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ - وَإِنَّهُمْ عِندَنَا
لَمِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الاٌّخْيَارِ - وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَـعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا
الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الاٌّخْيَارِ هَـذَا ذِكْرُ]
(45. And remember Our servants, Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Ya`qub, Ulil-Aydi
wal-Absar.) (46. Verily, We did choose them by granting them the remembrance of
the Abode.) i(47. And they are with Us, verily, of the chosen and the best!)
(48. And remember Isma`il, Al-Yasa`, and Dhul-Kifl, all are among the best.)
(49. This is a Reminder...)
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