Prophet Ayoub (a.s.)
Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) story is one of
the most fascinating stories as patience and adversity are concerned.
It is famous to an extent that it became an example of patience and
endurance. Prophet Ayoub lived in Huran, a land in Syria near Damascus
where there was a mosque in his name distant about three miles from the
town Nawa where Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) used to resort with his wife in
adversity. He lived about ninety years as a preacher who gave warning,
obeying and worshipping God who granted him wealth and posterity, so he
used to offer food to the hungry and the deprived and water to the
thirsty. He also use to offer dwelling to the orphan and helped the
oppressed and the weak.
People saw him thanking and worshipping God who gave him wealth, along
with many other gifts. The more he became rich, the more his fear of
God increased, and the more he got favors, the more he gave to others in
need and his worship to God increased. Neither money nor son could
tempt him. His primary concern was God’s worship seeking that God will
be gracious to him.
The contemporary people were not
satisfied to see a man worship God while he is rich, without being
influenced by wealth or a son. He was always mentioning the name of
God, urging people to obey him and warning them against God’s
disobedience. Moreover, he was benevolent towards his parents, tender
with his workers. He would clothe the nude, release the imprisoned, and
help who was in need.
Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) contemporaries
were not satisfied from and found that the only way to offend him was to
spread intentional rumors about him. In their talks, they said that
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) worships God, not for the purpose of worship, but
in order that God gives him wealth and sons, and consequently he was
obliged to thank and worship God in order to safeguard such wealth and
favors. Moreover, they added that if Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) was deprived
of his wealth, he will abstain from worshipping and obeying God.
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) knew about these rumors but he did not give them
any importance.
God wanted to make Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) and ideal for mankind, a bright
brand of faith and an outstanding example of endurance and patience, so
He struck him with a big adversity. All of Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) money
disappeared, his parents and friends went away from him, and his health
became bad to the extent that he could not stand up, move, and walk.
People witnessed what Prophet Ayoub
(a.s.) was suffering, and so many different opinions spread about him,
according to passions and caprices. One group of people pretended that
his prophecy was doubtful and that his worship to God was false.
Another group said, "If God was
able to ward off adversity or grant favor, his Prophet Ayoub (a.s.)
would deserve more than any one to be saved from such an adversity."
As far as the hypocrites were
concerned, they said, "If God
does such a thing to Job(Ayoub ‘a.s.), it is in order to distress his
Ayoub’s friends and rejoice his enemies, and in both cases, Ayoub
deserves such adversity."
The few people who believed in him,
used to ask forgiveness from God and good health to Prophet Ayoub
(a.s.), admiring his patience in his adversity and saying,
"Ayoub must be glad because man was born
to suffer adversity. This world is a place of ordeal and its
inhabitants are exposed to calamities and the Most High God said, ‘That
he might try you, which of you is best in conduct."
Satan who whispered such ideas to those
groups of people, thought that the adversities of Prophet Ayoub (a.s.)
would destroy his faith. However, this righteous worshipper became
stronger in faith. Seven years passed by and Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) was
still suffering from bad health: emaciation of the body and a pale
color. Sickness destroyed him to an extent that his flesh was about to
decay until his friends, parents, and sons left him, except his tender
wife who remained loyal to him, serving and taking care of him. Prophet
Ayoub’s (a.s.) wife kept her word, thankful, patient, giving no
importance to what people said, with a strong determination, that didn’t
weaken her neither by criticism of a parent nor by that of a stranger,
to take care of her husband.
But the people of evil did not abstain
and they preserved in planting evil in the good earth, and generated
discord in the most pure souls, while they were able to do such work.
One day, they came to see Prophet Ayoub’s (a.s.) wife, urging her to
leave her husband and they tried to make her feel annoyed of Prophet
Ayoub’s (a.s) state. This righteous woman was about to leave her
husband when she came to him saying, "Really, why does your God inflict
on you such adversities? Where is your health? Where are your parent
and the friends? Where is the youth? Where is the power and
determination?" Prophet Ayoub (a.s) replied with patience, "Satan
whispered to you something. Shall you weep for a glory that disappeared
and a son who died?"
The wife replied,
"The adversity we suffered is enough.
Will you call your God to dispel distress and calamity away from you?"
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) looked at
her, surprised, and said, "How
long did you lead a luxurious life?"
She said,
"Forty years."
Again he said, "How
long did you suffer adversity?"
She said,
"Seven years."
Here Prophet Ayoub (a.s) said
to her, "So be shameful to
demand from me to ask God to dispel my adversity."
He added,
"I am astonished to hear from you such
things. I am disappointed from your behavior, and I notice that your
faith has weakened and your mind can no more bear the will of God. O
woman! Go away. I will recover my health and I shall strike you with
the whip one hundred times. I do not need you, go away from me until
God will achieve His will."
The conspirators succeeded in
generating separation between the miserable and the satisfied wife, so
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) became alone with his pains and sickness.
In the climax of adversity, he complained to God calling Him,
"Adversity afflicted me and You are the
Most Merciful of all who show mercy."
What a beautiful call!
Prophet Ayoub (a.s.) confined
his call to describe himself as ‘adversita |