What Was Prophet Ayoub Tried With, and How Was He Healed?
بم امتُحن أيوب عليه السلام وكيف شُفي؟
He was put to trial when Allah Almighty caused him to be sick and all his children died and his friends left him. Only his wife remained by his side taking care of him. Until he cried to his Lord after many years of sickness, Allah Almighty commanded Ayoub pbuh to hit the ground with his foot, after which cold water gushed out, then He commanded that drink from it and to wash his body. When he did that, he was cured by the Will of Allah.
(And remember Our servant Job, when he cried out to his Lord, “Satan has afflicted me with distress and suffering.” ˹We responded,˺ “Stomp your foot: ˹now˺ here is a cool ˹and refreshing˺ spring for washing and drinking.” And We gave him back his family, twice as many, as a mercy from Us and a lesson for people of reason.) Sad 38:41-43 [corrected: the original cited only “38:41-42,” but the family-restoration line quoted in this same answer is verse 43]
(And ˹remember˺ when Job cried out to his Lord, “I have been touched with adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” So We answered his prayer and removed his adversity, and gave him back his family, twice as many, as a mercy from Us and a lesson for the ˹devoted˺ worshippers.) Al-Anbiya 21:83-84
مرض أيوب عليه السلام و مات كل أولاده و تركه أصحابه. بقيت معه زوجته ترعاه.
بعد أن تحمل و صبر سنين طويلة نادى ربه يطلب من الله تعالى أن يشفيه.
أمره الله أن يضرب الأرض برجله فأخرج له ماء باردا و أمره أن يشرب منه و أن يغتسل فبرئ بإذن الله.
(وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الشَّيْطَانُ بِنُصْبٍ وَعَذَابٍ. ارْكُضْ بِرِجْلِكَ ۖ هَـٰذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَشَرَابٌ. وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ) (ص 38: 41-43)
(وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ. فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ. وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ) (الأنبياء 21: 83-84)
1. A Trial in Layers, Not a Single Blow | ابتلاء متعدد الطبقات لا ضربة واحدة
Ayoub’s affliction was not one loss but several compounding at once: prolonged illness, the death of every one of his children, and the departure of the friends who had once surrounded him. Only his wife remained. This layering is part of why his patience became the reference point it did, it was tested on more than one front simultaneously, over years, not resolved quickly.
لم يكن بلاء أيوب خسارة واحدة بل عدة خسائر تراكمت معا: مرض طويل، وموت جميع أولاده، ورحيل الأصدقاء الذين كانوا يحيطون به يوما. ولم تبقَ سوى زوجته. وهذا التراكم جزء من سبب أن صبره أصبح المرجع الذي أصبح عليه، إذ اختُبر على أكثر من جبهة في آن واحد، عبر سنوات، لا حُسم سريعا.
2. Naming Satan, Not Allah, as the Source of Harm | نسب الأذى إلى الشيطان لا إلى الله
In his own words, Ayoub says Satan afflicted him with distress and suffering. Scholars note the care in this phrasing: even while crying out from real and severe pain, he does not attribute the harm itself to Allah, only his need and reliance to Him. This distinction, between the source of suffering and the One who alone can remove it, is treated as part of the correct etiquette of complaint in Islamic tradition.
بكلماته هو، يقول أيوب إن الشيطان مسّه بنصب وعذاب. ويلاحظ العلماء الدقة في هذه الصياغة: حتى وهو ينادي من ألم حقيقي وشديد، لا ينسب الأذى نفسه إلى الله، بل حاجته واتكاله عليه وحده. ويُعامل هذا التمييز، بين مصدر المعاناة ومن وحده يستطيع إزالتها، جزءا من أدب الشكوى الصحيح في التراث الإسلامي.
3. The Same Story Told Twice, Two Different Emphases | نفس القصة بروايتين بتركيزين مختلفين
Surah Sad has Ayoub naming Satan’s affliction directly, while Surah Al-Anbiya has him instead emphasizing Allah’s mercy, “You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” Both accounts end with the same outcome, but the Quran preserves two distinct emphases of the same cry, one naming the trial, the other naming his trust in the One who could end it.
تروي سورة ص تسمية أيوب لأذى الشيطان مباشرة، بينما تُبرز سورة الأنبياء بدلا من ذلك تأكيده على رحمة الله: “وأنت أرحم الراحمين”. وتنتهي الروايتان بالنتيجة نفسها، لكن القرآن الكريم يحفظ تركيزين مختلفين للنداء نفسه، أحدهما يسمي الابتلاء والآخر يسمي ثقته بمن وحده يستطيع إنهاءه.
4. A Spring That Healed and Cleansed at Once | نبع شفى وطهّر معا
The spring that appeared when Ayoub struck the ground served two purposes at once, described explicitly as something to wash with and something to drink. Commentators note this dual use as fitting the nature of his illness, addressing both what needed to be cleansed from his body and what his body needed internally to recover.
خدم النبع الذي ظهر حين ضرب أيوب الأرض غرضين في آن واحد، ووُصف صراحة بأنه للاغتسال والشرب معا. ويلاحظ المفسرون أن هذا الاستخدام المزدوج يناسب طبيعة مرضه، معالجا ما يحتاج إلى التطهر منه في جسده وما يحتاجه جسده داخليا للتعافي.
5. Restored, Not Simply Replaced | استُرجع لا استُبدل فقط
Both verses describe Allah giving Ayoub back his family, and then doubling it, rather than simply granting him a new one. Scholars point to the specific wording of restoration alongside increase as significant for anyone who has experienced loss, the promise is not that grief is erased, but that Allah’s mercy can exceed what was taken.
تصف الآيتان كلتاهما أن الله أعاد لأيوب أهله ثم ضاعفهم، لا أنه منحه أسرة جديدة فحسب. ويشير العلماء إلى دلالة الصياغة المحددة، الاسترجاع مع الزيادة، لكل من مرّ بفقد، فالوعد ليس بمحو الحزن، بل بأن رحمة الله يمكن أن تفوق ما أُخذ.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What was Ayoub tried with?
Severe illness, the death of all his children, and abandonment by his friends, with only his wife remaining by his side.
How did Ayoub describe the cause of his suffering?
He said Satan had afflicted him with distress and suffering, without attributing the harm itself to Allah.
How was Ayoub healed?
Allah commanded him to strike the ground with his foot, and a cool spring appeared for him to wash with and drink.
What did Allah give Ayoub after his healing?
He restored his family and gave him twice as many, as a mercy.
Which verses of the Quran record this story?
Surah Sad 38:41-43 and Surah Al-Anbiya 21:83-84.