The Story of Prophet Job
Information about the various prophets sent by God to humankind
can be found throughout the 114 chapters of Quran. The information
is presented in a variety of ways. From a few short verses, to the
long narrative concerning Prophet Joseph, that takes an entire
chapter. Additionally, almost invariably, the prophets come to
their particular people with the same message. They ordered their
peoples to worship God alone, and not associate anything or anyone
in worship with Him. The stories of the prophets emphasize this
basic doctrine of Islam that God is One.
The Quran makes it quite clear that children and wealth are an
adornment of this life and that we will be tested through our love
for them. [Quran 18:46]. In the stories of the prophets, we see
that God tested various nations through loss of health and through
the loss of wealth, even extreme poverty. God declares repentance
and patience to be the keys to eternal life therefore accepting
trials and even thanking God for them, denotes a high level of
faith. Humankind however is in a constant struggle to accept the
message of God. Many nations failed.
The story of Prophet Job is different. Through his story, we are
able to view humankind's struggle on a more personal level. God
does not tell us about Job's methods of preaching or how his people
reacted to his warnings and admonitions. God does not tell us about
the fate of Job's people. Instead, He tells us about Job's
patience. He (the Almighty) praises Job by saying,
{Truly! We found him patient. How
excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance
to Us!} [Quran 38:44]
{إِنَّا وَجَدْنَاهُ صَابِرًا ۚ نِّعْمَ
الْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ} [ص:٤٤]
Transliteration: Innā Wa Jadnāhu Şābirāan Ni`ma
Al-`Abdu 'Innahu 'Awwābun
Christians often refer to the "patience of Job" and interestingly,
Muslims refer to Job's patience and try to emulate him in the face
of relentless adversity. In the 10th century C.E. renowned Islamic
scholar Ibn Kathir gathered what little information has survived
about Job, therefore what follows is Job's story based on Quran,
the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him,
and Ibn Kathir's Stories of the Prophets.
Job was a descendant of Noah [Quran 6:84]. He loved God, worshipped
Him alone, was patient, steadfast and sort forgiveness often. Satan
overheard a group of angels discussing that Job was the best man of
his generation and Satan's dark heart was filled with jealousy and
silent rage. His plan was to tempt Job away from goodness and have
him fall into disbelief and corruption. Satan attempted to distract
Job from his prayers but Job remained steadfast and prayed with
commitment and concentration.
This caused Satan's rage to grow and he complained to God saying
that Job was a devoted worshipper only because God had blessed him
with wealth and possessions. God allowed Satan and his helpers to
destroy Jobs possessions, but Job remained true to his belief and
acknowledged that God was able to give or take wealth and
possessions as He pleased. Satan became even more frustrated and
returned to God saying that Job only hid his disappointment because
of his large happy family. Satan and his helpers destroyed Job's
home, the building came crashing down killing all of Job's
children.
Once again, Job turned to God for comfort and accepted this most
heavy test without complaint. Satan disguised himself and
approached Job in the form of an old man. The old man commiserated
with Job and suggested that God was not rewarding Job for his
devotion and prayers, but Job replied that God "sometimes gives and
sometimes takes" and that he was well pleased with His Creator.
Satan's silent but smouldering anger grew. He returned to God
saying that Job was fit and healthy and therefore had hopes of
regaining his wealth and having more children. Satan asked
permission to destroy Job's health. God granted Satan's third
request but with the condition, that Satan have no influence on
Job's soul, heart, or intellect.
Satan and his helpers began to harm Job's body, by the will of
Allah. He was reduced to skin and bone and suffered severe pain.
Job was also stricken with a disease that made people turn away
from him with revulsion and his friends and relatives began to
desert him. Only his wife remained with him. She cared for him and
showered him with kindness even though they had become penniless
and she had to work as a servant to provide them with a small
morsel of food each day.
Throughout his ordeal, Job remained devoted to God. His lips and
tongue remained moist with the remembrance of God and he never
despaired or complained. He continued to thank God even for this
great calamity that had befallen him. Satan was at a loss, he did
not know how to entice Job away from his devotion to God so he
decided to harass Job's wife. He came to her in the form of a man
and reminded her of the old days and how easy their life had once
been. Job's wife burst into tears and confronted Job saying, "ask
your Lord to remove this suffering from us".
Job was saddened and reminded his wife that God had blessed them
with wealth, children and health for 80 years and that this
suffering had been upon them for a relatively short period of time.
He declared that he was ashamed to call on God to remove the
hardship and admonished his wife saying that if he ever regained
his health he would beat her with 100 strokes. Job's loving wife
was devastated, she turned away and sought shelter elsewhere. Job
felt helpless, he turned to God, not to complain but to beg for
mercy.
{Verily! distress has seized me and
You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." So We
answered his call, and we removed the distress that was on him, and
We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like
thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder
for all who worship Us.} [Quran 21:83-84]
{وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
﴿٨٣﴾ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ
مِن ضُرٍّ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً
مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ}
[الأنبياء:83-٨٤]
Transliteration: Wa 'Ayyūba 'Idh Nādá
Rabbahu 'Annī Massanī Ađ-Đurru Wa 'Anta 'Arĥamu Ar-Rāĥimīna (83)
Fāstajabnā Lahu Fakashafnā Mā Bihi Min Đurrin Wa 'Ātaynāhu 'Ahlahu
Wa Mithlahum Ma`ahum Raĥmatan Min `Indinā Wa Dhikrá
Lil`ābidīna
God restored Job's health almost immediately. Job's wife could not
bear to be parted from her beloved husband for very long so she
returned and was amazed when she saw his recovery. She cried out
her thanks to God, and on hearing her words, Job became worried. He
had taken an oath to beat his wife but he had no desire to hurt her
for he loved her dearly. God wanted to ease the heart of his
devoted, patient servant so he advised him to {take in your hand a bundle of thin grass
and strike therewith your wife, and break not your oath} .
[Quran 38:44]
{وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَاضْرِب
بِّهِ وَلَا تَحْنَثْ} [ص:٤٤]
Transliteration: Wa Khudh Biyadika Đighthāan Fāđrib
Bihi Wa Lā Taĥnath
From the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, we
learn that God also restored Job's wealth. It is said that one day
when he was taking a shower (or bath) God showered him with
grasshoppers made of gold.[1] God rewarded Job's patience
abundantly. His health was restored, his family was returned to him
and multiplied, and he once again became a wealthy man.
God tells us that Job's story is a reminder for all those who
worship God. [Quran 38:84] When one truly worships God with full
submission, it is necessary to have patience. It is easy to worship
for a few days or even weeks, but we must be consistent. Prayer at
night requires patience, fasting requires patience, living with
tribulations and trials requires patience. The life of this world
is a test and in order to pass, and be rewarded with Paradise, we
need to acquire the patience of Job.
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Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari.
By Aisha Stacey
IslamReligion.com
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