Stories
Ayyub
The patience of Job
3 min, Intro
Ayyub (Job) was a prophet, tested with the loss of his wealth, his children and his health. He called on his Lord, and he was answered. The Qur'an praises him in four words: "We found him patient". In Arabic his name is a byword for patience.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
Ayyub, a prosperous prophet, loses his wealth, his children and his health. He prays a short prayer, without complaint. He is healed, and given his family back. The Qur'an sums him up in four words: "We found him patient".
The man who lost everything
Picture a prosperous man. Ayyub was a prophet with wealth, children and good health. Then, according to the commentators, he lost his wealth and his children, and he was struck by a long, painful illness.
Most people abandoned him. His wife stayed.
How much of this is in the Qur'an? Only the essentials. He was afflicted. He called on his Lord. He was answered. The longer versions come from later commentary, so the details vary.
The Qur'an keeps to the essentials of Ayyub's trial. The fuller story comes from later commentary.
A prayer without complaint
What does a man say to God when he has lost so much? Ayyub's prayer in the Qur'an is short: "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful." The Qur'an records his cry once more, in surah Sad. There he says that Satan has afflicted him with hardship and pain.
Listen for what is missing. Scholars point out its manners. He does not blame God. He does not demand. He states his need, and he names God's mercy.
Muslims still use this prayer in illness.
۞ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ٨٣ فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُۥ فَكَشَفۡنَا مَا بِهِۦ مِن ضُرࣲّۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ أَهۡلَهُۥ وَمِثۡلَهُم مَّعَهُمۡ رَحۡمَةࣱ مِّنۡ عِندِنَا وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡعَٰبِدِينَ ٨٤
83 And [remember] Job, when he cried out to his Lord, “I have been struck by adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”
84 So We responded to him and relieved his adversity, and We restored to him his family, twice as many, as a mercy from Us and as a reminder for Our worshipers.
Ayyub stated his need and named God's mercy, with no blame and no demand.
"We found him patient"
Then the answer came, from the ground under his feet. God told Ayyub to strike the ground with his foot. A cool spring appeared, to wash in and to drink.
He was healed. His family was given back to him, and as many again, as a mercy and a reminder.
Then the Qur'an gives its verdict on Ayyub: "Indeed, We found him patient. What an excellent servant. He constantly turned back to God."
ٱرۡكُضۡ بِرِجۡلِكَۖ هَٰذَا مُغۡتَسَلُۢ بَارِدࣰ وَشَرَابࣰ ٤٢ وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهۡلَهُۥ وَمِثۡلَهُم مَّعَهُمۡ رَحۡمَةࣱ مِّنَّا وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٤٣ وَخُذۡ بِيَدِكَ ضِغۡثࣱا فَٱضۡرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحۡنَثۡۗ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَٰهُ صَابِرࣱاۚ نِّعۡمَ ٱلۡعَبۡدُ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابࣰ ٤٤
42 [Allah said], “Stamp [the ground] with your foot: here is a cool spring for bathing and drinking.” 43 And We restored his family to him and the like of them as a mercy from Us and as a reminder for people of understanding. 44 [We said], “Take a bunch of grass in your hand, and strike [your wife] with it, and do not break your oath.” We truly found him patient – an excellent and faithful slave he was. He constantly turned [to Us].
In the Qur'an's words, Ayyub's patience was turning back to God, again and again.