Ayoub's Family History
Job, known as Ayoub, came from a noble line. Ibn Ishaaq said he was a man of Rum, and traced his lineage back through Isaac to Abraham (peace be upon him). Some scholars gave slightly different chains of descent, but the most reliable one shows him as a descendant of Abraham, just as Allah says in the Qur'an: "That was Our proof which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All Wise, All Knowing. And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, each of them We guided, and before him We guided Noah, and among his progeny Dawud, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good doers." (Ch 6:83-84). Ibn Asaker also narrated that Job's mother was a daughter of Prophet Lot, and that his father was among those who believed in Abraham when he was thrown into the fire.
Allah's Praise of Job
Allah praised Job directly in the Qur'an, saying: "Truly, We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us." (Ch 38:44). Job was a man who remembered Allah constantly, with gratitude, patience, and steadfastness, and this was the reason Allah rescued him from his trials and praised him so highly.
The story begins when a group of angels were speaking about the people of the earth, noting how the humble ones pleased Allah while the arrogant ones angered Him. One angel said that the best creature on earth at that time was Job, a man of noble character known for his patience and his constant remembrance of Allah. Because of this, Allah had blessed him with a long life, many servants, and great wealth. Job shared his good fortune generously, feeding and clothing the poor and buying slaves in order to free them. He treated the people he helped with such kindness and gentleness that they felt as though he was the one being helped.
Iblis Grows Jealous
Iblis overheard this conversation and became furious with jealousy. He decided to try to corrupt Job and lead him away from his faith. He came to Job and tried to distract him from his prayers by whispering to him about the pleasures of life, but Job was a sincere believer and refused to let these thoughts affect him. This only made Iblis hate him more.
Job's Wealth is Destroyed
Iblis then went to Allah and complained about Job, claiming that Job's worship was not sincere but was simply a way of protecting his wealth. He said that if Job's wealth were taken away, he would stop praising Allah altogether. Allah told Iblis that Job's worship came from his heart and had nothing to do with material blessings, but to prove this to Iblis, He allowed him to do as he wished with Job's wealth. Iblis gathered his helpers and destroyed all of Job's cattle, servants, and farms until nothing remained. He then appeared to Job disguised as a wise old man and told him that people were saying his losses were punishment for giving too much charity, or that Allah was pleased to see him suffer, or that Allah simply lacked the power to protect him. Job answered firmly that whatever Allah had taken away had always belonged to Him, and that he had only been its trustee for a time. Allah gives to whomever He wills and withholds from whomever He wills. After saying this, Job prostrated to his Lord once again.
Job's Children are Taken
Frustrated by this failure, Iblis returned to Allah and argued that Job still had his many children to comfort him, and that a parent's real test comes through their children. Allah permitted Iblis to test Job in this way too, but warned him it would not shake Job's faith or patience. Iblis shook the foundations of the house where Job's children lived, causing it to collapse and kill all of them. He then came to Job disguised as a sympathizer and suggested that Allah was not rewarding him fairly for his devotion. Job replied that Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes, and is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with what people do, but that whether things were good or bad for him, he would remain firm in his belief and thankful to his Creator. He then prostrated again, leaving Iblis even more frustrated.
Job's Health is Taken
Determined to break Job's faith, Iblis went to Allah a third time and asked for authority over Job's body, arguing that as long as Job remained healthy, he would keep worshipping Allah in hope of regaining his wealth and children. Allah granted this request as well, wanting to teach Iblis a lesson about the depth of Job's devotion, but placed a condition: Iblis could afflict Job's body, but he had no power over his soul, his intellect, or his heart, since these were the places where the knowledge of Allah and His religion resided. Iblis filled Job's body with disease until he was reduced to nothing but skin and bone, suffering great pain. Despite this, Job remained patient and full of faith, never turning to anyone for help except Allah, and never losing hope in His mercy. Even his closest relatives and friends abandoned him. Only his devoted wife stayed by his side, caring for him and comforting him through the long years of suffering.
Years of Suffering
Ibn Asaker described this period of Job's life, saying that he had once possessed enormous wealth of livestock, slaves, and land in Haran, as well as many children, and that all of it was taken from him along with his health. Every part of his body was afflicted except his heart and his tongue, which he used constantly to glorify Allah, day and night. His illness lasted so long that eventually even his visitors grew disgusted and stopped coming, and only his wife remained, caring for him out of love and out of memory of his past kindness and charity.
Job's Oath
Seeing that his efforts had failed, Iblis grew desperate and turned to his helpers for advice, but they had none to offer, remarking that he had once managed to lead Adam out of Paradise, yet could not shake one man's faith. Iblis then went to Job's wife, disguised as a man, and asked where her husband was. She pointed to his frail, weakened body and said he was suspended between life and death. Iblis reminded her of the years when Job had been wealthy, healthy, and surrounded by his children, and the memory of all they had lost overwhelmed her with grief. In tears, she asked Job how much longer he intended to bear this suffering, and why he would not simply call on Allah to remove it.
Job asked her how many years they had enjoyed good health and wealth, and she answered eighty years. He then asked how long he had been suffering, and she answered seven years. Job told her that he was ashamed to ask Allah to end his hardship when he had not yet suffered even as long as he had once been blessed. He said her faith seemed to have weakened, and that she was showing dissatisfaction with Allah's decree. He then made an oath that if his health were ever restored, he would punish her with a hundred strokes, and told her that from that day on he would no longer eat or drink anything from her hand. He asked her to leave him and allow Allah to do with him as He willed.
Job's Prayer and Restoration
Heartbroken, she had no choice but to leave and seek shelter elsewhere. Alone now, Job turned to Allah, not in complaint but in a humble plea for mercy, saying: "Verily, distress has seized me and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." Allah answered his call and removed his suffering, restoring his family to him along with the same again as a mercy from Himself, as mentioned in the Qur'an: "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." (Ch 21:83-84)
Allah also describes this moment elsewhere in the Qur'an: "Remember Our slave Job, when he invoked his Lord saying: Verily, Satan has touched me with distress and torment. Allah said to him: Strike the ground with your foot. This is a spring of water to wash in, cool, and a refreshing drink. And We gave him back his family, and along with them the like thereof, as a mercy from Us, and a reminder for those who understand." (Ch 38:41-43)
Job obeyed, and almost at once his health returned to him. Meanwhile, his wife could no longer bear to be separated from him and came back, hoping to beg his forgiveness and serve him again. When she arrived, she was astonished to find him completely healed, and she embraced him, thanking Allah for His mercy.
Keeping the Oath
Job now faced the problem of his oath to strike her a hundred times. He had no wish to hurt the woman who had stayed loyal to him through everything, yet breaking an oath made to Allah was not something he could do lightly. In His mercy and wisdom, Allah showed Job a way to keep his word without harming her, instructing him to take a bundle of thin grass containing a hundred strands and strike her with it once, fulfilling the oath without causing her pain. This is connected to the same verse praising his patience: "Truly, We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us." (Ch 38:44)
Prophet Muhammad's Account of Job
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also spoke about Job. Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet said that while Job was bathing naked, a swarm of golden locusts fell upon him, and he began gathering them into his garment. Allah called out to him, asking why he was doing this when He had already made Job rich enough that he had no need of them. Job replied, "Yes, my Lord, but I cannot do without Your blessings." This narration is recorded by Al Bukhari.