The story of Job, peace be upon him: The beautiful patience and the great trial The Journey of Thankfulness and Certainty
In the annals of the honorable prophets, the story of Job, peace be upon him, is one of the most profound and inspiring stories, as it embodies the highest meanings of beautiful patienceand absolute trust in God, even in the darkest circumstances and the most severe trials. Ayyub, peace be upon him, was a unique example of a believer who meets adversity with thanksgiving, adversity with certainty, and illness with praise, to teach mankind that affliction is only a way to elevate grades, and that relief will inevitably come from a gracious Lord.
Great blessings and pure worship: Job before the trial
Job, peace be upon him, was a noble prophet, one of the descendants of Abraham, peace be upon him, and God had blessed him with countless great blessings. He was a rich man with an abundance of land, livestock and slaves, and had many sons, all of which were used to obey God and seek His pleasure. Job, peace be upon him, was an example of a thankful, devout slave, who remembered God in all his circumstances, and showed his thanks and good deeds at all times. His life was a model of a righteous and blessed man who lives in the blessings of this world, but his heart is attached to Allah.
Ayyub, peace be upon him, was an example of charity to the poor, honoring the guest, relieving the distressed, and caring for the weak. He was always praising and thanking his Lord for these blessings, and it was this deep gratitude that made him worthy of a great test that would test his faith and increase his grade with God.
The great test: The test of patience and certainty
The story of Job, peace be upon him, underwent a radical transformation. The wisdom of the Almighty God decreed that Job would be severely and greatly afflicted in order to show the whole world the strength of his faith and the depth of his patience. The affliction began with the loss of worldly blessings one after another. He lost all his money in one night, and then he lost all his children, as the roof of the house fell on them and they died. These calamities were enough to shake the hardest of hearts, but Job, peace be upon him, met them with great patience, praise, and submission.
Evidence: The Holy Qur’an describes his condition after the trial in a comprehensive manner in the words of Almighty God:
إِنَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ صَابِرًا ۚ نِّعْمَ الْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
(Surah S: 44).
“Awab” means: returning to his Lord through repentance, repentance, and remembrance.
The affliction did not stop there. Ayyub, peace be upon him, contracted an incurable disease in his body, which greatly deteriorated his health condition, and he remained bedridden for many years (seven years and eighteen months, it is said, and others say otherwise). Because of his illness, relatives and friends shunned him, and he was left with only his righteous and loyal wife, who continued to care for him and serve him with dedication and devotion, working and toiling to bring him food and comfort him.
In all these trials, Job did not utter a word of objection or complaint. Rather, his tongue remained moist with the remembrance of God, praising and thanking Him, and entrusting his affairs to his Lord. He spoke of God’s blessing in his health before his illness, and thanked God for his remaining wife and tongue. He was a living example of contentment with God’s will and destiny.
Satan’s whispering and Job’s prayer: Turning to God alone
Satan tried to tempt Job, peace be upon him, to lose his faith and lose his patience. He whispered to him, and perhaps to his wife, that if God loved him, He would not have afflicted him so severely, or that he should seek healing by complaining. But Job was a solid rock in the face of Satan’s whispering, and he only grew more patient and certain.
After many years of trials, when Job had completed his patience and demonstrated the perfection of servitude, he turned to his Lord with a humble supplication, in which he did not ask for healing in the form of an order or an objection, but in words filled with politeness and mercy, recognizing his weakness and his need for the mercy of his Lord.
Evidence: The Almighty said in Surat al-Anbiya:
وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
(Surat al-Anbiya: 83).
This supplication was a model for every sufferer, a supplication that does not complain about the Creator to the creature, but rather complains about his weakness and his need for the mercy of the Most Merciful.
God’s relief: Answering prayers and returning blessings
God Almighty answered the prayer of his prophet Job. He ordered him to hit the ground with his foot, which he did, and a cool spring of water sprang up. He ordered him to drink from it and wash himself.
Evidence: The Almighty said in Surah S:
ارْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ
(Surah S: 42).
Job drank and washed, and by the power of God, the disease was removed, and his body returned to him healthy and well, more beautiful than it was before. Not only that, but God restored his wealth and multiplied it, restored his children, reunited him with his family and offspring, and even increased his bounty exponentially. This was a great reward for his patience and thanksgiving.
Evidence: The Almighty said in Surat al-Anbiya:
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ
(Surat al-Anbiya: 84).
“And like them with them,” meaning: God restored his children who had died, and provided him with the same or more of them.
Epilogue: Timeless lessons in patience, thankfulness, and certainty
The story of Job, peace be upon him, is a complete school in the lessons of faith and life:
- The greatness of patience: True patience is not just enduring pain, but it is accepting God’s judgment, refraining from complaining and wincing, and counting on God. Job, peace be upon him, had patience like no one else, and he was the most patient slave.
- The importance of thanksgiving in good times and bad: Job, peace be upon him, was thankful in his blessings and remained thankful in his afflictions, highlighting that thanksgiving is a worship that is not linked to the disappearance of blessings, but rather a permanent state of the heart.
- Suffering is a blessing, not a curse: The story teaches us that trials are divine tests to refine faith, raise grades, and atone for bad deeds. They are proof of God’s love for the righteous servant.
- Turning to God alone: In the most severe times, Ayoub turned only to his Lord, and his prayer was one of the most powerful prayers, because it was a prayer of weakness and poverty to the Almighty and Merciful.
- The certainty of joy after hardship: After such a long and severe ordeal, the great relief came from God, confirming that after the hardship there will be ease, and that relief is near, no matter how long the ordeal lasts.
The story of Job, peace be upon him, is a message of hope for every afflicted person, and a constant reminder that the strength of faith and satisfaction with God’s judgment are the keys to true happiness in this world and survival in the hereafter. It is a story that is immortalized in the hearts of believers and teaches them to be “obedient” to God, returning to Him in all their circumstances, patient and thankful, believing that His mercy extends to everything.
What is the most important lesson that the story of Job (peace be upon him) has left you with after reading it in such detail?
