Lives of the Prophets – Prophet Ayoub (Job), `alayhis salaam
narrated by Ms M. Kiyani
Once, there was a man named Ayoub. He was a Prophet of Allah and he was a wealthy man. He had many children and a good wife. He had every kind of wealth – he had cattle, land, a big house and a lot of money.
But one day, Allah decided to test him, which meant that all his wealth was taken from him. All his children died and even his health was taken away from him. One by one, his family began to desert him. Finally, the whole town threw him out of the city onto a rubbish heap. Some scholars say that his flesh began to fall off, leaving only muscle and bone behind.
His wife stayed with him, carrying out things he could not do. One by one, the people did not hire her as she was the wife of Ayoub. One day, she became so desperate that she went to the rich people of the town and sold her braid for good food. She brought the food to Ayoub `alayhis salaam and he asked her, “Where did you get this food?”
She gave a very vague answer, saying, “I provided service somewhere.”
The next day, again, she became desperate and she sold her other braid for good food. When she brought it to Ayoub `alayhis salaam, he refused to eat it, saying, “I will not eat this food until you tell me how you got it.” She removed her hijab/scarf and he saw that her hair had been cut. He was very angry and upset and swore that he would beat her a hundred times.
One day, Ayoub `alayhis salaam was instructed by Allah to strike the ground with his foot and from that place, there came a pool of water gushing. He was instructed to bathe in the water and while he bathed, all his sickness was washed away. After he had bathed, Allah sent to him a dress from Paradise. He was told to put this on by Allah and after that, he sat down in a corner.
When his wife came, she did not find Ayoub `alayhis salaam as she had left him and she did not recognise him. She asked the man who was sitting there, “O servant of Allah. Where is the man who was inflicted with disease when I left him? I am afraid that the dogs or wolves have carried him away and eaten him.” She kept talking.
When she stopped talking, Ayoub `alayhis salaam stood up and said, “O my wife. I am Ayoub.”
She said, “Do not mock me!”
He said, “It is me. I am Ayoub.”
Then, she finally recognised him.
All his children were returned to him and the like of them.
All his wealth was returned to him and then more.
On top of all that, Allah rained down golden locusts on top of him. He was catching them in the folds of his clothes and Allah said, “O Ayoub! Have you not enough of my blessings?”
Ayoub `alayhis salaam laughed and said, “O Allah! No one can have enough of your blessings.”
Ayoub had to beat his wife a hundred times because he had promised, remember? He did not really want to beat his wife because she had been a good lady when he was sick and had worked without complaint. He had lost control in the heat of the moment. Allah told him to tie bundle of one hundred reeds together and to tap his wife once.
I learnt from Ayoub `alayhis salaam that you should always be patient. He never complained about his sickness and he was always grateful for what Allah had given him in the past seventy years. We should also follow in his footsteps in being grateful. We should also follow his wife because she was a good woman and never complained about her husband’s disease and having to work hard.
The reward from Allah is great for one who is patient.
