ﱛ ﱜ ﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ
So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah].
Tafsir
Verse range: 21:83-84
Know that in the matter of Ayyub (Job), peace be upon him, and what Allah the Exalted mentioned about his state here and elsewhere in the Qur'an, there are lessons and proofs not found in other accounts. This is because Allah the Exalted, despite His immense favor upon him, afflicted him with a great illness, an affliction that was a lesson for him, for others, and for all who heard of it. It serves to teach that this world is the farm for the Hereafter, and that it is incumbent upon a person to be patient with whatever tribulations befall him in this life, to strive in fulfilling Allah's rights, and to be patient in both ease and hardship. In this regard, there are several issues:
Wahb ibn Munabbih said: Ayyub, peace be upon him, was a man from Rome, named Ayyub ibn Anus, descended from Esau (Is) ibn Isaac. His mother was from the lineage of Lot (Lut). Allah the Exalted had chosen him and made him a Prophet. Furthermore, Allah had granted him a vast portion of worldly blessings: livestock, gardens, a large family of sons and daughters. He was compassionate to the poor, took care of orphans and widows, and honored guests. He had three men who believed in him and recognized his virtue.
Wahb continued: Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him, holds a station near Allah the Exalted that no other angel possesses in terms of closeness and virtue. He is the one who receives the divine speech. When Allah mentions a servant favorably, Jibril receives the news, then Mika'il (Michael) receives it, followed by the surrounding close angels. When this news spreads, they all send blessings upon him. Then the angels of the heavens send blessings, followed by the angels of the earth.
Iblis (Satan) was not barred from any part of the heavens and used to stand wherever he wished. From there, he reached Adam, peace be upon him, and caused him to be expelled from Paradise. This continued until 'Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, was raised; then Iblis was barred from four heavens. After that, he could ascend to three heavens until the time of our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, when he was barred from all the heavens, except for those who manage to eavesdrop.
Iblis heard the angels responding to each other with blessings upon Ayyub, and envy overcame him. He ascended quickly until he stood in a place he used to occupy in the heavens. He said: "O Lord! You have bestowed favor upon Your servant Ayyub, and he thanked You. You granted him well-being, and he praised You. Then You did not test him with hardship or affliction. I guarantee to You, if You afflict him with tribulation, he will disbelieve in You." Allah the Exalted said: "Go forth, for I have given you authority over his wealth."
The accursed one descended swiftly to the earth and gathered the mischievous devils. He asked them about their strength, saying: "I have been given authority over Ayyub's wealth!" A powerful devil said: "I have been given such strength that if I wish, I can transform into a whirlwind of fire that burns everything in its path." Iblis said: "Go after the camels and their herdsmen." The devil went, and the people did not notice until a whirlwind of fire erupted from beneath the earth, burning everything that approached it. It continued to burn the camels and their herdsmen until the last one was gone.
Iblis then went to Ayyub in the guise of one of the herdsmen while Ayyub was praying. When he finished praying, Iblis said: "O Ayyub, do you know what your Lord, whom you chose, has done to your camels and their herdsmen?" Ayyub replied: "They are His wealth; He lent them to me, and He is more entitled to them when He wills to take them back." Iblis said: "Your Lord sent fire from the sky upon them, and they and all their herdsmen were burned." The people were left astonished and amazed. Some said: "Ayyub worshipped nothing; he was merely deluded." Others said: "If Ayyub's God had any power, He would have protected His beloved." Yet others said: "Rather, He did this to make his enemy rejoice and his friend grieve."
Ayyub, peace be upon him, said: "Praise be to Allah for what He gave and for what He took away. I came naked from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return to the dust, and naked I shall be resurrected to Allah. If Allah knew any good in you, O servant, He would have taken your soul with those souls, and you would have become a martyr, and He would have rewarded me concerning you. But Allah knew evil in you, so He delayed [your end]." Iblis returned to his companions, defeated.
Another powerful devil said: "I have the strength that if I wish, I can utter a sound that no living soul will hear without its spirit departing." Iblis said: "Go after the sheep and their herdsmen." The devil went and shouted at them, and they and their herdsmen all died. Iblis then went to Ayyub disguised as the chief herdsman. Ayyub gave him the same first response, and Iblis returned disgraced.
Another powerful devil said: "I have the strength that if I wish, I can transform into a violent wind that uproots everything in its path." Iblis said: "Go after the crops and the oxen." The devil went and destroyed them. Iblis returned in disguise to Ayyub while he was praying. He repeated his first statement, and Ayyub gave him the first reply. Iblis continued to afflict Ayyub's wealth bit by bit until all of it was gone.
When Iblis saw his patience in this, he stood in the station he used to occupy before Allah the Exalted and said: "O my God, have You given me authority over his children? For they are the misleading temptation." Allah the Exalted said: "Go forth, for I have given you authority over his children." The devil went to Ayyub's children in their palace and shook it from its foundations until the palace collapsed upon them. Then he came to Ayyub disguised as the tutor, wounded, his head split, blood and brain matter flowing out. He said: "If you could see your sons turned upside down, their brains flowing from their noses, your heart would break." He kept saying this, softening Ayyub's resolve until Ayyub softened, wept, took a handful of dust, and placed it on his head. Iblis seized upon this moment.
However, Ayyub, peace be upon him, soon sought forgiveness and returned to Allah. Iblis ascended and stood in his station, saying: "O my God, the loss of wealth and children is easy for Ayyub, for he knows that You will restore his wealth and children. Have You given me authority over his body? I guarantee to You, if You afflict him in his body, he will disbelieve in You." Allah the Exalted said: "Go forth, for I have given you authority over his body, but you have no authority over his intellect, his heart, or his tongue."
The enemy of Allah immediately descended and found Ayyub prostrating to Allah. He came to him from the ground and blew into his nostrils, causing his body to ignite. From his crown to his feet, boils appeared, accompanied by an unbearable itch. He scratched himself with his fingernails until his nails fell off. Then he scratched himself with rough mats, then with pottery shards and stones. He continued scratching until his flesh was torn, changed, and putrefied. The people of the village cast him out and placed him on a refuse heap, building a shelter for him. Everyone abandoned him except his wife, Rahmah bint Iphraim ibn Joseph, peace be upon them, who used to manage his affairs.
Wahb then elaborated on the story, concluding that Ayyub, peace be upon him, turned to Allah, seeking help and supplicating: "O Lord, why did You create me? I wish I had been menstrual fluid expelled by my mother, or that I knew the sin I committed and the deed I did that caused Your noble face to turn away from me. Was I not a home for the stranger, a resting place for the poor, a guardian for the orphan, and a caretaker for the widow? My God, I am a lowly servant; if I do good, it is by Your grace, and if I do evil, the punishment is in Your hand. You made me a target for affliction and a subject for temptation, and You empowered over me what, if You had empowered it over a mountain, it would have weakened from carrying it. My God, my fingers are severed, my uvula has fallen, my hair has scattered, wealth is gone, and I now beg for a morsel, and those who give it to me taunt me with my poverty and the destruction of my children."
Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Ansari, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned within this speech: "I wish that if You disliked me, You had not created me." Then he said: If that statement were authentic, Iblis would have seized upon it, for his goal is to push him into complaint and remove him from the rank of the patient. Allah the Exalted only informed us of His saying: {Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful} (21:83). Then He said: {Indeed, We found him patient—an excellent servant! Indeed, he was ever turning back [to Allah]} (38:44).
Scholars differed regarding the reason Ayyub said, {Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful}, and the duration of his affliction.
First Narration: Ibn Shihab narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Ayyub, peace be upon him, remained in affliction for eighteen years. Relatives and distant ones abandoned him, except for two of his brothers who visited him morning and evening. One day, one said to the other: 'By Allah, Ayyub must have committed a sin that no one in creation has committed!' The other asked: 'What is that?' He replied: 'For eighteen years, Allah has not shown him mercy nor removed what afflicts him.'" When they went to Ayyub, the first man could not restrain himself and mentioned this to Ayyub, peace be upon him. Ayyub said: "I do not know what you are saying, except that Allah knows that I used to pass by two men quarreling and mentioning Allah the Exalted, so I would return to my house and offer expiation for them, hating that Allah should be mentioned except in righteousness."
In another narration, when the two men entered, they noticed a bad odor and said: "If Ayyub had any good standing with Allah, he would not have reached this state." Ayyub said: "Nothing afflicted me more severely than what I heard from them." He then said: "O Allah, if You know that I never slept while full while knowing a hungry person existed, then confirm me." And Allah confirmed him while they were listening. Then Ayyub fell into prostration and said: "O Allah, I will not lift my head until You remove what afflicts me." So Allah removed what afflicted him.
Second Narration: Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Ayyub, peace be upon him, remained on the refuse heap for seven years and some months. He had no wealth, no children, and no friend except his wife, Rahmah, who remained patient with him. She used to bring him food and praise Allah along with Ayyub. Ayyub was steadfast in praising and thanking Allah and being patient with his affliction. Iblis shrieked in despair at Ayyub's patience. His troops gathered from all corners of the earth, asking him what was wrong. He said: "This servant whom I asked Allah to give me authority over—his wealth and children—has exhausted me. I left him with no wealth or children, yet he only increased in patience and praise for Allah. Then I was given authority over his body, leaving him lying on a refuse heap, approached only by his wife, yet he does not cease remembrance and praise of Allah. I seek your help against him." They asked: "Where is your cunning? Where is the work by which you destroyed those who passed before?" He replied: "That has all failed against Ayyub." They advised him: "How did you bring about Adam's expulsion from Paradise?" He said: "Through his wife." They said: "Then deal with Ayyub through his wife, for he cannot disobey her, as no one acknowledges him except her." He said: "You have spoken truly."
He went to his wife, disguised as a man, and asked: "Where is your husband, O servant of Allah?" She replied: "He is here, scratching his sores, while vermin crawl over his body." When he heard this, he became hopeful that this was a sign of his despair. He whispered to her, reminding her of the blessings and wealth they once had, Ayyub's beauty, and his youth. Al-Hasan said: She shrieked. When she shrieked, he knew she had despaired. He brought her a lamb and said: "If Ayyub slaughters this for me, he will be cured."
She came crying to Ayyub: "O Ayyub, how long will your Lord punish you? Has He no mercy on you? Where is the wealth? Where are the livestock? Where are the children? Where is the friend? Where is the good complexion? Where is your body that has decayed and become like ash, infested with vermin? Slaughter this lamb and find relief!" Ayyub, peace be upon him, said: "The enemy of Allah came to you and whispered, and you obeyed him! Woe to you! Do you weep over what you mention—the wealth, the children, the health—that we once had? Who gave us that?" She replied: "Allah." He asked: "And how long did He let us enjoy it?" She replied: "Eighty years." He asked: "And how long has Allah afflicted us with this tribulation?" She replied: "Seven years and some months." He said: "Woe to you! By Allah, you have not been fair to your Lord! Should you not have been patient in affliction for eighty years, just as we enjoyed ease for eighty years? By Allah, if Allah cures me, I will flog you one hundred lashes! You commanded me to slaughter for other than Allah! It is forbidden for me to taste anything you bring me to eat or drink after this." He drove her away, and she left.
When Ayyub looked at his situation—no food, no drink, no friend, and his wife gone—he fell into prostration and said: {Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful}. He was told: "Lift your head; I have answered you. {Strike the ground with your foot}." He struck the ground with his foot, and a spring of water gushed forth. He bathed in it, and every sore on his body fell off. Then he struck the ground again with his foot, and another spring gushed forth. He drank from it, and every ailment in his interior left him. He stood up healthy, his youth and beauty restored, becoming more handsome than before. He was then clothed in fine garments. When he stood up, he looked around but saw none of his former family, children, or wealth, except that Allah had doubled it for him, making it better than before. It is mentioned that the water from which he bathed splashed golden locusts onto his chest. He began gathering them with his hands, and Allah revealed to him: "O Ayyub, did I not enrich you?" He replied: "Yes, but this is Your blessing; who can be satisfied with it?"
He went out and sat on a prominent spot. His wife, meanwhile, thought: "If he drove me away, I will return to him so he doesn't die of hunger and become prey for wild beasts." When she returned, she did not see the refuse heap or the previous condition; everything had changed. She circled where the refuse heap had been, weeping, and Ayyub was watching her. She was too afraid of the man in the fine garments to approach and ask about him. So Ayyub sent for her and called her, saying: "What do you want, O servant of Allah?" She wept and said: "I want that afflicted one who was lying on the refuse heap." Ayyub said: "What happened to you?" She wept and said: "My husband." He asked: "Do you recognize him if you see him?" She replied: "Can anyone who sees him fail to recognize him?" He smiled and said: "I am he." She recognized him by his smile, embraced him, and he said: "You commanded me to slaughter a lamb for Iblis, but I obeyed Allah and disobeyed Satan. I called upon Allah the Exalted, and He restored what you see."
Third Narration: Al-Dahhak and Muqatil said: He remained in affliction for seven years, seven months, seven days, and seven hours. Wahb, may Allah have mercy on him, said he remained in affliction for three years. When Ayyub overcame Iblis, may Allah curse him, Iblis went to his wife in a form unlike that of human beings in stature and beauty, riding a mount unlike people's mounts. He said to her: "Are you Ayyub's wife?" She said: "Yes." He asked: "Do you recognize me?" She said: "No." He replied: "I am the god of the earth. I inflicted upon Ayyub what I inflicted because he worshipped the God of the heavens and abandoned me. If he prostrated to me just once, I would return all your wealth and children to you, for that is with me." Wahb said he heard that he said: "If your husband had eaten food without mentioning Allah's name, he would have been cured of his affliction." In another narration, he said to her: "If you prostrate to me once, I will return the wealth and children to you and cure your husband." She returned to Ayyub and told him what he said. Ayyub said: "The enemy of Allah came to tempt you away from your religion. If Allah cures me, I will flog you one hundred lashes." At that point, he said: {Indeed, adversity has touched me}, meaning the temptation of Iblis for him to prostrate to him and for his wife to ask him to do so, inviting them to disbelief.
Fourth Narration: Wahb said: Ayyub's wife used to work for people and bring him sustenance. When the affliction prolonged, people grew tired of employing her. One day, she sought some food but found nothing. She cut off a lock of her hair, sold it for a loaf of bread, and brought it to him. He asked her: "Where is your lock of hair?" She told him. At that moment, he said: {Indeed, adversity has touched me}.
Fifth Narration: Isma'il al-Suddi said: Ayyub did not say, {Indeed, adversity has touched me}, except for three things:
Sixth Narration: It was said: A worm fell from his thigh. He picked it up and put it back in its place, saying: "Allah has made me food for you." It bit him severely, and he said: "Adversity has touched me." Allah revealed to him: "If I had not placed patience beneath every hair on you, you would not have been patient."
Know that the Mu'tazila have attacked this story in several ways:
Response: This objection is weak. The narration states that Satan blew into his nostril, causing the itch. Why do you claim that the one capable of a breath that generates such an itch must be capable of creating bodies? This is mere conjecture. Furthermore, relying on the text is weak because he only undertakes such an action when he knows Allah will not prevent him from it. This condition was only met in Ayyub's case, as the story indicates he sought permission from Allah, and He granted it. When this is the case, there is no contradiction between that text and this narrative.
Response: If it is argued that Allah commanded him not to ask for relief until the very end of his ordeal, we say: That is possible if Allah informed him that delaying the removal of the affliction for a specific duration served certain interests for him and others. Thus, Ayyub, peace be upon him, knew there was no reason to ask in that specific matter. When the time approached, it became permissible for him to ask, just as it is permissible for the affliction to continue or cease.
The author of Al-Kashshaf said: The Almighty's saying {Indeed, adversity has touched me} means he called out, "Adversity has touched me." It is also read as Inni (with a kasra) implying an omitted saying, or because the call implies the meaning. Ad-Darr (with fatḥa) means harm in everything, while Ad-Durr (with ḍamma) means harm to the self, such as illness and emaciation.
He, peace be upon him, was subtle in his request by describing himself in a way that necessitates mercy and describing his Lord with the utmost mercy, without explicitly stating what he wanted.
Objection: Does complaining not detract from his status as patient?
Answer: Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever complains to Allah is not considered impatient, provided that in his complaint, he is content with Allah's decree. Patience does not require that the affliction be sweet to taste. Have you not heard the saying of Jacob, peace be upon him: {I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah} (Yusuf: 86)?
As for His saying {and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful}, there are several proofs that He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful:
Objection: How can He be the Most Merciful of the Merciful when He filled the world with calamities, diseases, illnesses, and pains, and empowered some against others through slaughter, breaking, and harm, when He was capable of sparing everyone the pain and harm inflicted by others?
Answer: His being harmful does not contradict His being beneficial; rather, He is the Harmful, the Beneficial. His causing harm is not to repel hardship, and His conferring benefit is not to gain benefit. Rather, He is not to be questioned about what He does.
This indicates that he supplicated his Lord. This supplication might have been indirect, as when one says, "If you see, or want, or love, then do such and such." Or it might have been direct, although the former is more appropriate to etiquette and the indication of the verse.
Then, Allah the Exalted clarified that He removed the affliction, which implies restoring him to his previous physical state and circumstances. Allah the Exalted also indicated that He gave him his family back, including those attributed to him, such as his wife and children. There are two opinions on this:
This indicates that Allah did this so that they might reflect upon it, making it a call for the worshippers toward patience and seeking reward. He specified the worshippers because they are the ones who uniquely benefit from it.
{And Ishmael and Idris and Dhul-Kifl, all were among the patient. * And We admitted them into Our mercy. Indeed, they were of the righteous.} (21:85-86)
