Ayoub (Job) 1
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
Praise is to God with all his praises, for all his blessings. . . Praise is to God, the owner of the property, the operator of the orbit, the bender of the wind, the glory of the morning, the religion of the beliefs, lord of the worlds; praise is to God for his dream after his knowledge and thank God for forgiveness after his power, and praise be to God for his long patience in his wrath and he is capable to do what he wills
و نشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شریک له، و أَنَّ محمداً عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
And we bear witness that there is no god but God alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, he sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that he might proclaim it over all religion, even if the polytheists hated it.
Famous prophets and non-famous prophets
The names of a number of prophets are mentioned in the holy Qur’an, and the names of many of them are not mentioned. God says to the holy prophet in the holy Qur’an: رُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ؛ and apostles We have recounted to you earlier and apostles We have not recounted to you—and to Moses Allah spoke directly— (Nesa: 164)
Among the prophets mentioned in the holy Qur’an, some of them have only been mentioned by only a name, and some of them have also been discussed mentioning their lives and practices.
Elis’ (Elisha) is one of the prophets who have been mentioned by only a name in the list of divine prophets without a biography: وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَى وَهَارُونَ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ؛ وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَى وَعِيسَى وَإِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ؛ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًا وَكُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَAnd We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided each of them. And Noah We had guided before, and from his offspring, David and Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—thus do We reward the virtuous—and Zechariah, John, Jesus and Ilyas—each of them among the righteous— and Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot—each We graced over all the nations— (An’am: 84-86)
Al-Kafal is also one of these prophets whose only name is mentioned in the list of prophets: وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ كُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ؛ And وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِنَ الْأَخْيَارِ؛ [remember] Ishmael, Idris, and Dhul-Kifl—each of them was among the patient. (Anbiya: 85) and And remember Ishmael, Elisha and Dhu’l-Kifl—each [of whom was] among the elect. (Sad: 48)
Prophet Ayoub’s biography
Ayoub is also one of the divine prophets whose names are mentioned in the holy Qur’an, and details of their lives are discussed.
Description of Ayoub in the holy Qur’an
The holy Qur’an names prophet Ayoub in the list of great divine prophets, which shows his special position among them:
إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَى وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَارُونَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا؛
We have indeed revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and [as] We revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, Jesus and Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon—and We gave David the Psalms— (Nesa: 163)
Ayoub’s severe divine test
The holy Qur’an does not describe the divine trials and tribulations of the prophet Ayoub; however, they are stated in the Torah:
He was a righteous and God-fearing man who avoided sin. Ayoub had seven sons and three daughters and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, and five hundred pairs of cows, five hundred donkeys and many servants. He was considered the richest man in that area.
Each of Ayoub’s sons would take turns to hold a celebration in their house and invite all their brothers and sisters to participate in the celebration. When the festive days were over, Ayoub would get up early in the morning and offer a sacrifice to God for the purification of each of his children. Ayoub used to do this regularly, so that if his sons had committed a sin against God without knowing it, then their sin would be forgiven.
One day when the angels appeared in the presence of God, Satan was also with them.
God asked Satan: “Where have you been?”
The devil replied: “I used to roam around the earth and was wandering in it.”
Then God asked him: “Did you see my servant Ayoub? There is no one like him on earth. He is an upright and God-fearing man and avoids sin.”
Satan said: “If fearing of God did not benefit him, he would not have committed this. You have protected Ayoub and his family and property from any harm. You have blessed him and given him great wealth. Take his property from him, then you will see that he will openly disbelieve you!”
God replied to Satan: “Go and do whatever you want with his property, just don’t harm him.” So the devil went out of the God’s court.
One day, when Ayoub’s sons and daughters were guests at their elder brother’s house, a messenger came to Ayoub and said to him: “Your cows were plowing and your donkeys were grazing next to them, when suddenly the Sabians attacked us, took the animals and killed all your workers. Only I survived and came to inform you.”
This man’s words were not yet finished when another messenger arrived and said: “The fire of God has come down from the sky, it has burned all your sheep and all your shepherds, and only I have survived. I have come to inform you.”
Before he could finish his words, another messenger arrived and said: “The Chaldeans attacked us in three groups and took your camels and killed your workers. Only I survived and I have come to inform you.”
The words of that messenger had not finished yet, when another messenger arrived and said: “Your sons and daughters were guests in their elder brother’s house, when suddenly a strong wind blew from the desert, destroyed the house on their heads, and they all died under the rubble.” And only I survived and I have come to take this news to you.”
Then Ayoub got up, he tore his clothes from his grief… fell down to presence of God and said: “I was born naked from my mother’s womb, and I will leave this world naked. God gave and God took away. Blessed be the name of God.”[1]
An effective lesson of life from prophet Ayoub’s biography
Ayoub’s problems and sufferings do not end at this amount, and even more severe trials await him. However, what all faithful people can learn at this stage is to see all the blessings from God and to consider himself indebted to God, which would result patience against the problems and avoiding of the disbelief. If not, the believer would not see the blessings of the world from God and would complain from God when losing them.
The holy Qur’an says that such tests will be for all people, but not as hard as Ayoub’s, but the level of faith of people and the reward that God intends for them in facing these problems are known through these tests:
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ؛ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ؛ أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ؛
We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient; —those who, when an affliction visits them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him do we indeed return.’ It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided. (Baghare: 155-157)
[1] Bible, Job 1, verses 1-21